The Garage
by TexasRevoFan
Summary: Charlie gets an internship at her uncle's auto repair shop and immediately feels a strong attraction to his business partner and best friend, Bass. She may not know much about cars, but she knows what lust feels like, and she's pretty sure he feels it, too. Charloe, AU no blackout, lust at first sight and all that comes with it.
1. Chapter 1

Charlie rolled her eyes and sighed as she picked up her cell phone. This was going to be an awkward conversation. Even though she went to college in the same city where her Uncle Miles lived, they had hardly talked in the time she'd been there. He had some weird history with her parents, so there wasn't exactly a lot of family love lost between them. But now, Charlie needed a favor.

On the other end of the line, Miles picked up. "Hello?"

"Hey, Miles, it's Charlie. Um, your niece."

She could practically hear his impatience through the line. "I know who you are, Charlie. What's up?"

"Actually," she said, going for the direct approach, "I need a favor."

"Great," Miles said under his breath, then more audibly. "What can I do for you, kid?"

"Um, so… I'm in this class. A business seminar. Actually it's more like a workshop." Miles' silence on the other end let her know just how uninterested he was in this explanation. "Anyway, our assignment for the semester is to, um. Go find a job we think we would never do normally. To learn about an industry we know nothing about and study it as an outsider, you know?"

"You're talking about the garage," Miles said, catching on immediately. Miles was the part-owner of Auto Haus, a specialty auto shop in town that specialized in fixing up obscure foreign cars. It was a second career of his after retiring from the Marines a few years back. He'd always been obsessed with cars and was now channeling that obsession into a thriving business.

"Yeah, exactly," Charlie said, relieved she didn't have to spell it out for him. "Would you be willing to, I don't know, give me an interview or something? See if I could work for you?"

"Because of course a garage is the last place on earth you would ever want to work." Charlie could hear the smirk in his voice. "Yeah, of course, Charlie. Come by tomorrow and we'll see if we can set you up."

"Thank you so much, Miles," she said. "You're really helping me out here."

"See ya, Charlie," he said, and hung up.

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The next day, Charlie got out of her car at the garage, smoothing her pencil skirt nervously. It had probably been overkill to wear a full interview suit just to talk to her uncle about a job, but she didn't want to seem like she was taking anything for granted. So she had on her best gray skirt suit, which annoyingly had gotten slightly too snug over the course of the semester, with a white silk button down underneath. It was fairly uncomfortable in the early-September Chicago heat.

Charlie walked up to the building, where she could see guys working through the open garage doors. She asked one of them where she could find Miles. Eyeing her up and down, he grinned and gestured toward an office in the back of the garage. Charlie walked over there, nervously stepping around cars and tools.

When Miles saw her, he seemed to be barely suppressing a grin. "Um, you're all dressed up," was how he greeted her.

"Miles," she said formally. "I wasn't sure if you'd want to interview me or what, so…"

He scoffed slightly and shook his head. "Don't really have time for that, we're really busy today. Look, um, why don't you just go from bay to bay and ask the guys if they need you to get anything for them. Rags, tools, whatever. Think you can handle that for your first day?"

Charlie hesitated. "Um… I guess. I don't really know where anything is."

Miles shrugged. "You're smart, you'll figure it out. Ask the guys. Look, I gotta customer who's pissed off out front so I have to get back out there, but I'll catch up with you in a little bit." Looking over her shoulder, he added, "Oh, good, there's Bass. Hey, Bass!" he called. "Come here a sec."

Charlie turned to see who Miles was addressing, and her heart leapt with excitement. Loping toward them, brow furrowed in curiosity, was possibly the most beautiful man she'd ever seen. On second glance, he was probably a lot older than her, maybe even as old as her uncle. But his chiseled features, his intense blue eyes, his slightly unruly curls… yeah, he made it work.

Charlie forced herself to breathe and act normal as Miles introduced her to this guy—Bass—and explained that he had to get to a customer but asked if Bass could help Charlie get set up with some projects. It was obvious Miles had better things to do than help his kid niece find ways to keep herself busy in his garage.

"Yeah, no problem," Bass responded. Miles quickly turned and walked off. Glancing at Charlie, Bass said, "Follow me." He didn't say anything else as he led her over to a nearby car, but Charlie thought she could feel tension radiating off him for some reason. They stopped at a bay where a tall, muscular, dark-haired guy was working.

"Neville," Bass said. The guy stopped what he was doing and glanced up.

"Hey, boss," he said. Noticing Charlie, he asked, "Who's the librarian?"

Charlie felt her face flush with embarrassment and a little bit of anger. Like this guy had room to talk, with his goofy shop shirt and greasy jeans. "I'm Charlie," she spoke up. "Miles' niece. I'm here to help out for a little while."

The guy was no longer paying attention to Bass. "Hi Charlie. I'm Jason," he held out his hand to shake, seemingly uncaring that it was covered with sweat and oil. Charlie took it and pumped it firmly, cracking a small smile.

"Alright, looks like you two are good," Bass commented, and Charlie's heart sank as she realized he was pawning her off on Jason. "Charlie, let me know if you need anything." He turned and walked off, and Charlie forced herself not to stare after him.

For the next couple hours, Charlie learned what Jason was doing on the car he was working on, ran a few errands for him to get supplies, and met the guys who were working around him and started helping them out, too. The time actually flew by as she learned a completely new language of cars and parts, and she was enjoying herself, despite her outfit having been completely ruined. The garage was hot and stuffy, despite the doors being open, so she was sweating hard, and inevitably grease, oil, and dirt were getting smeared on her blouse and skirt. Fortunately, Charlie wasn't one to get too worked up about her clothes. Frankly, she couldn't wait to wear jeans from then on.

One of the guys sent her back to the storeroom for another bottle of transmission fluid. The bottles were relatively big, and she didn't see any on the first few shelves. High up above her head, she saw a box with the brand name she was looking for on it. Narrowing her eyes with determination, she reached up over her head and slowly began shifting the box toward the edge of the shelf, figuring she could pull it down and get what she needed.

It wasn't until the box was tilting toward her that she realized it was much heavier than she'd originally realized. It tipped over the edge of the shelf, and Charlie desperately held it up with both hands, letting out an involuntary scream. She couldn't lower the box down and keep control, and if she let it go, it would plummet down onto her head. "Damnit!" she yelled, pushing futilely against the bottom of the box, not wanting to call for help and seem weak. She felt her arms start to shake with the effort of holding it up.

Suddenly, there was a strong presence behind her, arms reaching around her, supporting the box and heaving it back up onto the shelf. Once it was securely in place, Charlie's arms collapsed to her side, and without really thinking about it, she stumbled backward into the man who had saved her. Warm arms wrapped around her for just a second as she regained her balance, and she laughed with relief. Turning around, she started to say, "Thanks, that was really stup…"

The words died on her lips when she saw that it was Bass standing behind her, fixing her in place with an intense stare, clearly showing his displeasure at her having been in danger. After a moment, he said, "Yeah, it was. Stupid. I know you want to give a good impression here, but getting yourself crushed by a box really isn't necessary. Even the guys ask for help with that stuff."

Charlie nodded. "Yeah. Got it. Thanks for coming to my rescue." She involuntarily rubbed her arms where he'd caught her.

Something shifted in Bass's eyes, but it was gone as soon as she'd noticed it, and he just cracked an ironic smile. "Yeah, sure. Any time." With that, he turned and left the closet, leaving her alone.

Charlie realized she'd never gotten the bottle of fluid, but she just went back out to the floor and told Jason it had been too high up. He and another guy, Marco, ran and got what they needed. Charlie slipped back into the easy banter they'd had going before, but she was still shaken up by her encounter with Bass. The feeling of his body against hers, even for just a split second, had been electric. It was almost tempting to pull another box down onto her head just to see if he would save her again.

For the rest of the day, Charlie couldn't help but be aware of where Bass was, whether it was working on a car himself, giving instructions to the guys, or handling a customer. Strangely enough, she felt like he was watching her, too. Their eyes kept meeting across the room. Usually, one of them would immediately look away or pretend they'd been looking at something else. But a few times, the looks lingered, and Charlie forgot to breathe as she lost herself in Bass.

As they were winding up for the day, Jason asked her, "So how'd you like your first day in the garage?"

Charlie smiled, "I'm liking it more than I expected to. Though you guys really do smell terrible," she added.

Jason laughed. "You'll get used to it in another day or two, trust me."

"Yeah, I'm not sure that's a good thing," Charlie joked.

Still smiling at her, Jason asked, "So listen, Charlie, I know we just met, but if I don't do this now, I'll be like the tenth one of these guys in line, so I'm just going to ask you—do you want to go out sometime? Grab a drink around here or something?"

Charlie hesitated. Jason was certainly really good-looking. And of the guys she'd met that day, he was probably the one she'd clicked with most. Even though she didn't really feel like saying yes, she couldn't think of a reason to say no. So she nodded. "Sure. We could do that." She gave Jason her number and they planned to meet up at a nearby bar on Thursday night.

Just as Jason was putting away his phone with her contact newly saved, Charlie glanced up and saw Bass watching them. She couldn't quite read the look on his face, and it remained impassive as he stared her down for a couple of seconds then walked away. Charlie's heart began to race again. The crazy thought that she would have had no hesitation saying yes to going out with Bass raced through her head. Forcing herself to focus, she smiled at whatever Jason had just said, and nodded.

A while later, Charlie was in Miles' empty office, browsing the internet on his computer to kill time while waiting for him to come talk to her about her first day. The office opened into the garage's main area. Suddenly, she heard voices just outside the cracked-open door.

"Damn, what do you think of the new chick?" said a loud, grating voice she didn't recognize, though she had apparently met the guy that day. "She is a hot little tamale!"

Charlie heard a laugh, and her spine tingled as she suspected whose it was. Sure enough, Jason's voice replied, "Tamale? Whatever, man. She is fucking hot, though. Cool chick, too. We're going out later this week."

"Daaaaaamn, bro!" the first voice said, and Charlie heard the sound of slapping fives. She rolled her eyes. Guys. Idiots. "Hey boss!" the obnoxious voice continued. "Don't you think the new chick is hot?"

"What, Charlie?" Charlie's eyes widened as she recognized Bass' voice. "Don't let Miles overhear you saying that, I'm pretty sure he'd kick your ass."

"I'm not asking Miles, I'm asking you! You don't think she's pretty?"

Bass paused, and Charlie realized she was holding her breath. "Yeah, of course she's pretty. Way too young for me, but you guys have fun," Bass replied smoothly.

At that, Jason laughed again. "Too young? You're so full of shit. What was that girl you had around here last week, Mia? Leah? She was at least as young as Charlie, you didn't seem to mind then."

"Mia," Bass confirmed. "Yeah, that was nothing."

"Sure, nothing," the other guy said. "They're all nothing to you, right Mr. Bass? Just a new girl every week—it's nothing, for this guy! Some of us would kill for such nothing."

Bass snorted, then said, " _Anyway_. Like I said. Miles, niece, ass kicking, all of you. So watch it."

Jason and the other guy replied with "Whatever," "Sure man," "Okay," as the three of them apparently walked off to another part of the garage and their voices faded away. Charlie sat frozen in their wake, inexplicably disappointed that Bass thought she was too young for him. _As if you thought he would be interested in you otherwise_ , she admonished herself. Just because he was one of the sexiest guys she'd ever laid eyes on, and he'd totally saved her earlier, was no reason to get all hung up on him. No reason at all, she decided.


	2. Chapter 2

Over the next few days, Charlie spent getting more time acquainted with the ins and outs of the garage. After that first day, she wore her preferred outfit of jeans and a fitted tank top to work, avoiding the obligation to wear the button-down uniform shirt that the guys all had.

Miles always seemed busy, so Jason took her under his wing. But despite that fact, Charlie somehow found herself seeking out Bass, even if they hardly talked much. She would be running across the garage, going to grab something for one of the guys, when she'd feel the heat of his stare on her back and turn to lock eyes with him. Charlie didn't know how no one else had noticed—sometimes she felt like the metal of the cars around them would melt with the intensity. Then she would blink, and it would be over.

Thursday night was Charlie's date with Jason. It was perfectly fine. They met at a bar a few blocks from work for a late dinner. He'd bought her drinks and bar food, made her laugh, and only watched the game on the TV over her head for a few seconds at a time. At the end of the night, she could tell that he was hoping she'd take him up on his offer to drive her home, but she said she'd parked at the garage and would go get her own car, insisting on walking over there alone. They'd parted with a chaste hug, and Charlie almost felt guilty about how disappointed he seemed. While Jason was a perfectly decent guy, there wasn't any real chemistry there. Nothing like what she felt with Bass. Charlie knew she was probably totally delusional that there was anything between them, but she still couldn't get him out of her head.

Charlie knew it was foolish, as she walked the vacant Chicago blocks between the bar and the auto shop. Being out here alone, late at night, was probably more dangerous than she realized. But she really had left her car at work. And Miles had said that Bass was usually up half the night working, and if that were the case… well, she wouldn't mind seeing him. Just the two of them, with no one else around.

When she reached the building, Charlie took out the key Miles had given her and quietly unlocked the door to the hallway that would lead back to the garage. During the day anyone could get right to the garage from the street because the huge metal doors were open. At night, everything was closed down. As Charlie walked down the hall, she heard the sound of a radio playing loud rock music.

Sure enough, as she entered the garage and was as usual assaulted by the smell of oil, gas, and grease, she noticed a pair of male legs sticking out from under a car that was jacked up on a lift. Bass.

Charlie remained quiet, not wanting to startle Bass and make him drop a wrench on his head or something. She waited a few minutes, just leaning against the doorframe, for Bass to finish whatever he was doing and come out from underneath the car. Finally, he emerged and pulled himself to his feet, bending over a toolbox open on a nearby bench.

When she caught sight of him, Charlie gasped slightly. Gone were the jeans and work shirt he typically wore at the garage. Instead, he was clad only in a pair of navy blue gym shorts. And owing, she guessed, to the oppressive heat in the un-air-conditioned garage, he was shirtless.

Charlie's heart thudded as she took in the sight of Bass' body. It had always been obvious he was fit. But his toned muscles, exposed, just begged for her hands to be run over them. More than that, Charlie was shocked and ridiculously turned on by the sight of multiple tattoos decorating Bass's torso, from his hips up to his shoulders. She'd of course seen the giant black "M" on his forearm, but his artwork was a lot more extensive than she realized. And sexy as hell. For just a second, she closed her eyes and thought maybe this had been a bad idea. Oh well, she thought. Too late to back out now.

"Hey," she called, loudly enough to be heard over the music. She saw Bass tense slightly, but other than that, he showed no sign of being startled. Calmly, he turned around, dropping whatever tool he was holding back into the toolbox in the process. He met Charlie's eyes and spoke.

"Wh—ou—ere…" Bass' words were drowned out by the music, so she stepped inside and closed the door behind her, striding over to where he was working on the car.

"What are you doing here?" he asked her when she was close enough to hear. Charlie was just tipsy enough to rake her eyes over him without bothering to be subtle about it. His chest and arms were shiny with perspiration, and the thin, well-worn gym shorts clung to his hips and ass, leaving little to the imagination.

"Hey," Bass said, with what seemed to be a combination of amusement and irritation. "Up here." He gestured toward his face, his eyebrows raised. "Everything okay?"

Regaining control of herself, Charlie smirked. "Yeah, of course. I was just in the neighborhood and thought I would drop by."

"In the neighborhood, huh?" Bass repeated, regarding her skeptically. "Pretty dressed up for around here," he said, gesturing at her strappy pink and red sundress that flowed loosely around her body but was cut short on her legs and low in the front.

"I had a date," Charlie answered defiantly. "Hence, dressed up."

Bass smiled tightly. "Lucky guy. Would this date have been Neville, by any chance?"

"As a matter of fact, it was," Charlie answered.

Smirking, Bass said, "I stand corrected, then. Not so lucky guy."

Charlie put her hands on her hips, indignant. "And why is that?"

"Well, you're here with me. Not… wherever, with him." Bass answered, a challenge in his eyes. "Probably not how he was hoping the night would end."

At a loss for words, Charlie just shrugged. Bass paused for a few seconds, then as the awkward silence stretched between them, he gestured vaguely at the car behind him, "Well, I should get back to…" But his eyes never left Charlie's face, boring into her, seemingly waiting for more.

Charlie grasped for something, anything to say to keep the conversation going. Finally, she blurted, "I didn't know you had so many tattoos."

Bass glanced down at his body, then back up at her. "Yeah, most people don't," he said. "You like tattoos?"

"I like yours," she said immediately, concentrating on them again, feeling like she'd been given permission to look. "That's a raven?" She gestured to a predatory bird inked onto his right pectoral muscle. Bass nodded shortly in confirmation.

Charlie stepped closer to Bass, so she was close enough to touch him. She placed her hand just over his hipbone, on a partially-visible tattoo, and felt him draw in a sharp breath. "What's this one?" she asked, running her hand along the image where it disappeared under his arm and around his side.

Bass turned and raised his arm obligingly so she could see the whole picture: a cheetah having just pounced on and tearing into a gazelle. The inking was incredibly intricate; the cheetah, ferocious and ravening, the gazelle, helpless beneath it.

"Wow," Charlie said, lightly tracing her fingers over the lines of the image, over his skin. "It's beautiful."

Bass said, "Yeah, if I'd known how much it was going to hurt, I never would have gotten it done. Thought it was going to kill me."

Charlie laughed softly, then rested her palm on Bass' side, right over the gazelle's head, tilting her face up toward his. "Well, it didn't, so you're good."

"Charlie," Bass said warningly, letting her know he wasn't for a second buying her attempt at casual conversation. Charlie shifted closer to him so they were standing only inches apart, still touching Bass. She noticed a bulge starting to grow in the front of his shorts and could feel the heat radiating between their bodies. Deciding to just go for it, she brought her other hand up and ran it up his pec, over the raven, over his collarbone, and felt his muscular shoulder.

Bass immediately wrapped his right arm around her waist, pulling her in tight to him, knocking her slightly off her feet in her pointy high heels. He looked down into her face for a couple seconds, then bent down and kissed her roughly.

Charlie groaned and kneaded her hands into him as their lips made contact. Bass' other arm reached up and palmed the back of her neck, his fingertips brushing her hair, which was held up in a twist. Bass's tongue plunged into her mouth, and she felt the short hairs of his beard scraping her face as he kissed her hard. They parted for a second or two for breath, then came back together, tasting and touching each other insatiably. Charlie felt Bass grow to full hardness against her and pressed her hips into him, her thin dress doing little more than his shorts to dull the sensation of their bodies together.

As she rubbed against him, Bass pulled away from her slightly, keeping his arm tightly around her, kissing his way down her neck. "Goddamnit, you're so fucking beautiful," he rasped, his voice thick with desire. Slipping one strap of her dress off her shoulder, he kissed and nibbled the skin he'd left bare.

"I thought I was too young for you," Charlie commented, challenging him.

Leaning away from her slightly, Bass frowned in confusion. "Why?"

Charlie shrugged, suddenly wishing she hadn't said anything. "I heard you talking to some of the guys."

Bass laughed and pulled her against him again. "Yeah, the guys don't need to know that I can't stop thinking about you. Watching you running around here. It drives me fucking crazy."

"Crazy how?" Charlie gasped, as Bass pulled one side of her dress down, exposing her bare breast. Bass ran his fingertips over her warm nipple, growling as Charlie arched into him, silently begging for more. Giving her what she wanted, he rolled her nipple between his fingers, pinching it lightly, then harder when she writhed against him in pleasure.

"Crazy like I've wanted to do this since the moment I saw you," Bass breathed, pulling down her other strap and giving her other breast the same treatment. "Like I don't fucking care that you're Miles' niece or way too young because I just want you so goddamn bad."

"You want me?" Charlie said teasingly, her snarky tone undercut by a gasp as Bass cupped her breasts in his hands and ran his thumbnails over her protruding nipples. "Uh, God," she moaned helplessly.

Bass pushed one leg between hers, so she could feel his erection jutting into her thigh. "Yes, I want you," he said darkly. "You need me to say it?"

Charlie grinded down on his strong thigh, feeling the lace of her thong abrading the tender, aroused flesh of her wet sex. "Yeah," she panted, kissing and licking Bass' neck, now conveniently close. "Tell me."

Bass's hands moved down and around her body, so he was cupping her ass, pulling her more tightly against him, grinding his thigh into her in a steady rhythm. Slowly, in a husky voice, he told her, "I want to be inside you, Charlie. I want to feel your hot pussy around my cock. I want to fuck you til you scream, til we both can't move anymore. That's what I fucking want." Charlie whimpered slightly, and in response he kissed her hard again.

Pulling his thigh away from her, Bass reached his hand between Charlie's legs and ran his hand over her soaked panties. Growling at the feeling of how wet she was, he slipped his fingers inside the lacy material and found her aroused bud. When he stroked her there, Charlie's knees gave slightly, and her hips bucked into him involuntarily.

"So wet," he whispered, then ran his fingers teasingly along her slit, over her opening. Charlie groaned and opened her legs wider, showing Bass where she wanted him. Bass plunged two fingers inside her tight opening, and Charlie cried out in pleasure at the sensation. All too quickly, it felt like to her, he pulled them away, putting them right to his mouth to suck her juices from them.

Charlie reached down and ran her hand over Bass' cock through his shorts. The smooth fabric was stretched tight over his rock-hard erection, and when she rubbed along his length, Bass moaned loudly. "Damnit," he cursed. Grabbing her, he quickly whirled her around so her back was to him, and pushed her into one of the cars parked nearby.

Charlie threw her head back against his shoulder as his hands roamed up and down her body, cupping her bare breasts, tracing her slim waist. Charlie felt the ridge of his hard cock against her ass, pressing into her from behind.

"We could do this, right here," he rasped into her ear. "Right in the middle of the garage, up against a car. Would you like that, Charlie?"

Charlie moaned, then boldly answered. "Yeah. Yeah, I'd like it." She rolled her hips back into Bass to make her point, rubbing against him.

"Fuck," Bass cursed in her ear, breathing hard. "That is not what you were supposed to say." He stilled behind her, still holding her hips in a punishing grip, then releasing her, slowly. Charlie sensed that he'd made some kind of decision. She turned around, leaning back on the car behind her, pulling up her dress with a resigned smirk on her lips.

Bass leaned on the car, putting his hands on either side of her, looming over her so their faces were only inches apart. "Not here. Not like this. Okay?" he said, not quite meeting her eyes. He kissed her on the mouth, again, hard, then stood up.

Charlie didn't know what to feel – frustrated, embarrassed, excited, horny… so instead, she just said, "I should probably go."

Bass cleared his throat, still seemingly trying to regain control over himself. "Do you need me to walk you somewhere, or…?"

"No, it's fine," Charlie said. "My car's in the lot out back." She paused for a few awkward seconds, then added, "Well, goodnight. I guess," then laughed.

Bass smiled humorlessly. "Just so we're clear. In my mind this was a first. Not a last." He reached out and smoothed his thumb along her jawline until she smiled, and he did, too. "Goodnight."

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	3. Chapter 3

Charlie didn't return to the garage until the following Monday, since she had Friday classes. When she got there, Jason found her immediately. They had texted a few times over the weekend, but she had put off his efforts to meet up with her. It seemed like he was getting the message that she just wanted to be friends. Charlie was glad he was still willing to show her the ropes at work.

"Hey, Charlie," Jason greeted her. "Ready to start your week with something cool?"

She shrugged. "Sure, why not? What's up?"

Jason led her over to a car that was slightly elevated, with two shop creepers – the rolling carts that the guys laid on to slide underneath cars – laying beside it. "Want to check out the underbelly of one of these babies?"

Charlie shot him a skeptical look, but said, "Lead the way."

Jason explained to her how to get under the car slowly so she didn't bash her head on anything. Giggling, Charlie followed slightly behind him and rolled underneath the car. She looked up, interested in seeing the underside of a car up close. Jason began pointing out the various parts that they were looking at, and what he planned to do to get to work on this one. Charlie asked questions and tried to absorb as much as she could. Though she figured Jason only wanted to get her in the confined space under the car so that they could be pressed up against each other and he could have a chance to flirt, she was still grateful to him for actually bothering to take the time to teach her some things.

"Neville!" Bass' sharp voice interrupted their mini-lesson in car mechanics. "Get out of there."

Jason grumbled slightly and began to push his way out from under the car. Charlie followed quickly behind. Bass was standing over them, his face stormy with irritation.

"Need you on a house call," Bass said. Sarcastically, he added, "If you're all done playing grab ass with Charlie, maybe you could go help load the equipment."

"Sure, boss," Jason said easily, ignoring the jibe. "On it. See ya, Charlie." He headed toward the front of the garage where the work truck was parked.

Charlie turned to Bass, who had already whirled on one heel and stomped off back to his office, which was next to Miles'. Quickly, she followed him, catching up with him right as he went inside. She closed the door behind them and asked, "What was that all about?"

Bass didn't even bother to feign ignorance. Stepping close to her, he gazed down at her and half-smiled. "I'm a very possessive man, Charlie. I don't like sharing, anything. Not friends, not food, and especially not women."

Charlie raised an eyebrow. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize you had any right to be possessive of me, considering we haven't even been one date yet."

"Is that your way of saying you'd like me to ask you out?"

Faltering, Charlie stammered, "I don't… that wasn't…"

Stepping closer to her still, so their bodies were only inches apart, Bass said, "Go out with me Charlie. Tonight. Please."

That, she knew how to respond to. "I can't, I have a study group til ten," Charlie said, truthfully.

Undeterred, Bass replied, "Afterward, then. Where can I pick you up?"

Giving up on the idea of playing hard to get, Charlie told Bass the address of the library where she was meeting her friends to study. Nodding, he ran a hand down her arm and pressed a thumb into her palm. "Looking forward to it," he said, then opened the door to his office, gesturing that they should go back out on the floor.

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That night, Charlie sat on a bench outside the library, playing games on her phone. She'd felt like a bit of an idiot showing up to her study group all dressed up for her date with Bass, but wearing her usual jeans/shirt combo for this night was out of the question. Her friends had given her a good-natured hard time about it, but she knew she looked amazing. She had chosen a slinkier, more sophisticated look than the sundress she'd worn for her date with Jason. Somehow, with Bass being so much older than her, and so intense, it seemed appropriate. She had on a dark gray dress that clung to her hips and thighs and flowed a bit looser on top, just showing a hint of the shape of her breasts. She had her hair down and was wearing black T-strap high heels. Most importantly, she wasn't wearing any underwear.

Charlie couldn't have said exactly what it was that possessed her to go commando for her date with Bass. On one hand, she realized that it seemed a little over-eager, maybe even desperate. But if she was honest with herself, that was how Bass made her feel. Exposed, needy, desperate for him. And if the night ended up going the way she hoped it would, the thought of his reaction when he realized her panties were missing was reason enough to do it.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of a vintage Aston Martin – in the darkness, Charlie couldn't tell if it was midnight blue or black. But it was absolutely gorgeous. She got up and strode over to the passenger side, hopping in.

Bass eyed her up and down appreciatively, leaning back in his seat. "Hey," he greeted her.

"Hey," Charlie replied somewhat breathlessly. She had very much enjoyed seeing Bass Monroe basically undressed in the garage the week before. But Bass Monroe dressed up, she decided, was good, too. He'd kept the scruff, but was pure polish from the neck down, in a white button down and gray slacks. The edge of one of his tattoos was just visible at the neckline of his shirt where the first button was undone. Charlie had a crazy urge to lean over and press her lips to it.

Shifting the car into gear, Bass asked her, "So what do you like to drink, Charlie? Are you a wine girl?"

Charlie grinned, shaking her head. "I can do whatever. But honestly, I prefer whiskey."

Bass shot a glance over to her, looking amused. "Your… uncle would say the same thing. Bet you didn't know you had that in common."

The subject of her uncle and how little she knew about him was kind of a sore one, but Charlie just said, "Must run in the family."

"Alright, then I know the perfect place to take you. But you better have meant it about the whiskey."

Eventually, they pulled up in front of what looked like an antiques store, with a giant metal wagon wheel out front and leather furniture, faded maps, and glass oddities layered inside. Charlie looked at Bass questioningly as they got out, but he just led her to the door, as if it were totally normal to be visiting an antiques store after 10 p.m. on a Monday night. There was no one behind the counter, and in fact the store was completely vacant. Charlie was starting to get a little freaked out and wondered if she'd somehow missed the fact that Bass Monroe was out of his mind.

He led her through a few narrow aisles to the back of the store, where a nondescript metal door was practically concealed behind an overflowing rack of lace tablecloths. Pulling it open, Bass gestured for her to go through.

Charlie was immediately cocooned by the sound of live jazz music and low conversation and surrounded by the pungent smell of liquor. What she'd assumed was a door to a back hallway or office was actually into a small, intimate bar. A speakeasy, she guessed it would be called. Just as they walked in and closed the door behind him, a dark-haired, thin man approached them eagerly.

"Mr. Monroe, it has been far too long!" he exclaimed, shaking Bass' hand. "What a wonderful surprise to see you tonight."

"Gould, this is Charlie," Bass immediately introduced her. "Got any space for us tonight?"

"For you, always, of course," the man said. "Your favorite table is open, please, come this way." He led them through the tiny bar – there were only about two dozen tables total – to a spot near the jazz quartet set up in the middle of the room. The table was in front of a soft red bench, where Bass and Charlie were seated side by side. Bass ordered drinks for them without asking Charlie, and Gould disappeared to retrieve them.

"Hope you don't mind," Bass said. "And I hope you don't need mixers. Or ice. This place doesn't have either, just some of the best damn liquor in the world."

Charlie laughed. "I think I can handle it."

"Good," Bass said, turning toward her, lacing his fingers through hers, sending tingles through her arm. Pulling her toward him slightly, he leaned in and pressed his lips softly to hers, then more fervently as she kissed him back. When they broke apart, Charlie raised her eyebrows at him questioningly. "I spend half my day trying to remember why it's a bad idea to kiss you in the middle of the garage," Bass said by way of explanation. "Damned if I'm going to deprive myself here."

In response, Charlie put a hand on Bass' thigh and stretched up, kissing him again. He groaned softly and traced his hand gently through her hair, cupping the side of her face, feathering a few soft kisses along her jawline and neck. Both of them were breathing somewhat raggedly as Gould reappeared with a tray of drinks. Charlie blushed and looked down, while Bass just draped an arm over her shoulder and sat back. "Thanks," he said, as Gould set down two flights of amber-colored liquid in front of them. The man grinned and winked knowingly, backing away without saying anything.

The liquor, Charlie found, was indeed amazing. They each had four relatively small pours, and Bass explained to her what each one was. It was obvious he knew a lot about whiskey, and Scotch, of which there were also samples. Charlie was impressed, and really enjoying the drinks. After awhile of drinking and listening to the music, Charlie commented, "So, seems like they know you pretty well here."

Bass nodded, "I used to come here a lot with clients."

Charlie frowned, "What, customers of the garage?" The place seemed way too nice to take someone just looking to get their brakes replaced.

Shaking his head, Bass explained, "I was a lawyer. Before I went into business with your uncle. He stayed with the Marines his whole career, but I got out after my four and went to law school. I was at a firm for about fifteen years and left."

"Why'd you leave?" Charlie asked.

Bass sighed, taking a swig of one of his drinks. "I'm surprised," he said. Charlie shrugged, not understanding, and he added, "That you haven't Googled me. Gotten the whole story."

Charlie laughed out loud. "Wow, don't flatter yourself. I have better things to do than stalk you online," thinking to herself that she'd be doing exactly that as soon as she got home.

Bass grinned self-deprecatingly. "Fair enough. Anyway, I quit because of a case that went bad. My firm represented major companies in class action litigation, so really big, lucrative stuff. And we won, or I did. I guess I had a way with juries." He paused, then continued. "The last case I tried… we represented a weapons manufacturer that had a test go wrong. It caused a serious explosion and radiation leak near a small desert town in Nevada. A bunch of people were killed, even more got sick."

"And you lost," Charlie said quietly.

Bass shook his head. "No, I won. Those people and their families all got nothing." He took another drink. "They clearly deserved to get paid, but I convinced the jury they didn't. I did that. It was on me." He was quiet for a few moments, then said, "That was the beginning of the end of me and the law. I didn't like who I'd become, what I'd done. So I got out."

"But you were just doing your job," Charlie protested, seeing that the memory of the case still crushed Bass. "I mean, if you hadn't defended the company, someone else would have."

He nodded. "Yeah. But… I don't know. I don't think anyone but me could have won. It was an impossible case."

Charlie didn't know what to say to that. There was nothing to say, really. Bass clearly still blamed himself for the misfortune of those people. Who was she to argue with him?

"Anyway," Bass said. "When I hit rock bottom, your uncle was there for me. Let me invest in the garage and come on as a partner, gave me something to do besides beat myself up and think dark thoughts. He really saved me."

Charlie snorted, "Yeah, Miles is a real hero."

Bass looked at her quizzically, "You have a problem with Miles?"

Now it was her turn for true confessions, Charlie supposed. "I don't know. I mean, I've been in school in this city for over three years. And this past week is probably the most time we've ever spent together. And he still can't string together more than two minutes at a time to talk to me." She took a swig of liquor and added, "Maybe he has a problem with me."

"He definitely doesn't have a problem with you," Bass said quickly, then seemed to stop himself. "I don't know, maybe you should talk to him about it sometime."

"What, about why he doesn't like me?"

"About why you guys haven't ever spent time together," Bass corrected her. "Maybe it's not what you think."

Charlie shrugged dismissively. "Yeah, maybe." Finishing the last of her drink, she leaned against Bass, enjoying the feel of his body against hers. The quartet wailed away as the song crescendoed, and she closed her eyes briefly, soaking in the sensation of the music, the taste of whiskey on her tongue, and warmth of the man by her side.

Bass stroked his thumb up and down her arm and pressed his lips to her hair. "You fit so perfectly, right here," he said into her ear, squeezing her slightly.

Gould eventually brought them another round of drinks, and they sipped them while enjoying the music, unable to keep their hands off each other.

Suddenly, a brunette woman, probably about Bass' age, appeared in front of their table. "Sebastian," she greeted them. Charlie despised the woman on sight. Probably because of how beautiful she was, combined with the proprietary way she was eyeing Bass.

"Hey, Duncan," Bass said easily. "Nice to see you. This is Charlie." Charlie nodded her greeting to the woman.

"So nice to meet you," Duncan said with a patronizing grin. Looking at Bass, she asked, "Are you sure she's old enough to drink?"

Bass opened his mouth to reply, but before he could, Charlie shot back, "Oh yes, I'm twenty-two. Don't worry, just because I'm much younger than you doesn't mean I'm underage."

Duncan's mouth dropped slightly open in shock, then she laughed, a disbelieving but appreciative belly laugh. "Alright, wow." Again addressing Bass, she said, "I like this one. You two enjoy your night." She reached down to grasp his hand briefly, then sauntered off.

Charlie looked up at Bass with a small frown. "Who was that?"

Bass was grinning down at her toothily, chuckling a bit. "That woman you just told off is the owner of this place, Duncan Page." He bent down and kissed Charlie hard. "And it was really hot seeing you put her in her place."

Charlie rolled her eyes. "I didn't like how she was looking at you," she explained.

"Apparently I'm not the only one who gets possessive," Bass replied, referencing their conversation in the shop earlier. "Are you ready to get going?"

"Yes, please," Charlie said, and they headed out into the cool night.

Once they were in the car, Bass asked her, "Why don't you come over?"

Her heart caught at the thought of seeing Bass' place, at what would happen once they were there, and Charlie agreed. "Okay."

She became somewhat confused as they drove up to the garage. "I thought we were going to your place," she said.

"Oh, yeah. I live above the garage," Bass explained somewhat sheepishly. "Part of the whole purging-the-old-me thing was selling my condo and moving in here. I figured you knew when you caught me here in the middle of the night a few days ago."

Charlie nodded and let Bass lead her through a back hallway to a door she had always assumed was just another office or break room. Instead, it led to another door that looked more like a traditional front door, and up a staircase into an apartment.

As soon as the door to the apartment was closed behind her, Bass backed her up against it and ran his hands over her waist. Charlie threw her arms around his shoulders and pulled him in for an unrestrained kiss. Both of them were moaning in pleasure and touching each other everywhere, finally alone. Bass' hands trailed down Charlie's back and reached down to cup her ass, kneading the firm flesh there. "Fuck," he whispered as he touched her.

Bass slid his hands down and slipped them under the hem of her short dress, pulling it up over her thighs and hips. When he saw that she was completely naked underneath, Charlie heard him make a choking noise in his throat, then he said again, more emphatically, " _Fuck_."

Taking her by the hand, Bass pulled Charlie into the living room and guided, really pushed, her down into an armchair. Shoving the ottoman out of the way, he kneeled down in front of her, running his hands up her calves and over her knees, up her thighs, parting them. Charlie was too far gone with lust to be self-conscious as he pulled her toward him, giving him access to her bared pussy. Bass glanced up at her face, checking to make sure she was okay. Charlie licked her lips and spread her legs in encouragement.

Bass needed nothing further, bending forward and licking a bold stripe over her slit with the flat of his tongue. Charlie cried out at the sensation on her aroused flesh, unconsciously moving one hand to lightly rest on Bass' head, silently telling him not to stop. Bass worked his tongue over her expertly, driving her insane with pleasure that she didn't even know was possible. No man had ever done this for her before. Yes, some had tried going down, but none like this, never this good. Bass was playing her to perfection, reading her every moan and gasp and twist and giving her almost everything she wanted, but not quite enough.

"Bass, please," she said after a few minutes, when she felt like she would explode but couldn't quite get over the edge. "Fuck… please… it feels so good."

"What is it," Bass asked her thickly, looking half out of his mind with arousal himself. "You need to come? You want me to let you come?"

"Yesssss," Charlie groaned, letting her knees fall completely to the side, exposing herself to Bass. "Make me come, Bass, please." She hadn't realized until that moment that he was purposely holding out on her.

"Tell me again," he commanded, bringing his hand up to brush his fingers against her folds. "Makes me so fucking hard to hear you say it."

"I want you to make me come," she said. "Please, Bass. I need…" she cried out as he slipped one finger, just one, inside her. "Fuck, Bass, _please_ ," she said, trying to grind down where he was filling her opening, but too shallow, not enough yet.

Charlie wailed as Bass added another finger, pumping in and out of her drenched pussy more firmly. "You beg so pretty, baby," he growled, curling his fingers inside her, hitting her bundle of nerves. "I love the way that sounds." With that, he lowered his mouth to her again, bathing her clit with his tongue, roughly pounding his fingers in and out of her channel. Charlie felt her orgasm crashing over her, finally, God finally, and screamed in ecstasy. Bass gently pulled away as she came down from her high.

Gasping for breath, Charlie sat up then quickly stood. Stepping around Bass, she walked over to the open bedroom door, peeling her dress up over her head as she went, discarding her bra, too. Now naked except for her high heels, she threw herself onto Bass' bed on her back, waiting for him.

Bass stalked in behind her, a predatory look on his face. He was still fully dressed. Charlie lay on the bed in what she hoped was an inviting manner, wanting Bass inside her like she wanted oxygen. "Do I need to keep begging?" she asked, fully prepared to do it if he said yes.

Bass smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. "No, sweetheart, you did that just fine. Why don't you touch yourself while I get out of these clothes?" He raised his hands to the first button on his shirt, and Charlie lifted her hand hesitantly. Bass paused with his fingertips on his button, watching her intently, waiting for her to do as he'd asked. Charlie dipped her fingers into her soaked pussy, letting out a small gasp as she did. She'd gotten off enough times thinking about Bass over the last week; touching herself with him there in the flesh was surprisingly easy. Charlie traced her fingers over her clit in a familiar pattern, never taking her eyes off Bass.

He made quick work of his shirt, flicking the buttons open and shrugging it off. He kicked off his shoes next, then undid his belt. Charlie bit her lip in anticipation as he opened the button, then the zipper. Finally, all at once, he lowered his pants and boxer briefs, pulling them out and over his rock hard cock. Bass stepped out of the rest of his clothes and was naked before her, palming his cock lightly.

Charlie thought she could come just from looking at him. She'd seen him nearly naked in the garage the night she came to see him, but that was nothing compared to how he looked completely nude. The tattoos on his skin made him look almost scary, and the imposing size of his cock did nothing to diminish that. Not to mention the ravenous look he was giving her.

"I want to watch you come one more time before I fuck you," he said. "Can you do that for me?"

It was probably an outrageous request, but it didn't feel that way to Charlie, who had been rubbing herself the entire time she was watching him and was now feeling the telltale quivering in her cunt that let her know she was close to orgasm. Charlie nodded, darting her tongue over her lips, moving her hand faster over her drenched folds. One hand reached up to twist her right nipple as the other kept working on her aroused clit.

Charlie saw Bass grab a condom out of the dresser behind him and smoothly roll it on, then he slowly climbed onto the bed on top of her. She stilled, and he admonished her, "Don't stop." Lowering his head, he took her left nipple into his mouth, licking and suckling, and at the same time batted her hand away from the other one, taking over pinching and rolling the tender flesh between his fingertips. The stimulation to her breasts, combined with the smell of Bass and the feeling of his body so close to hers, worked Charlie up into a frenzy. "I'm coming," she whispered. "Oh God, Bass, I'm coming."

She felt her climax crest over her, and just as her pussy began to clench and pulse, she felt Bass thrust his cock deep inside her in one smooth stroke, sending her over the edge again as she bucked against him. He was huge, but she was so ready for him, all she could feel was the deep satisfaction of desire finally fulfilled. Charlie vocalized incoherently as she wrapped her legs around him, pulling him deeper, writhing against him, willing him to move.

But he stayed still, buried inside her to the hilt, mouth next to her ear as she calmed down slightly. "That," he said, "Was the most beautiful fucking thing I have ever seen." And then he began to move, thrusting in and out of her firmly, his body pressed into hers. Charlie moaned with pleasure as he worked his cock inside her, amazed at how good it felt.

After a while, Bass' thrusts grew more insistent, harder, faster, til his cock was bottoming out inside her on every stroke, filling her completely. Charlie felt his rhythm stutter and grow more erratic as he chased his pleasure, pounding her into the mattress beneath him, all of his muscles tensing and straining. At last, he bellowed deeply, and Charlie felt him shuddering against her, bucking his hips as he came.

Bass stayed inside her for a few seconds, then rolled off to the side, cleaned up quickly, and pulled her into his chest. Charlie could hear his heart pounding, its frantic pace matching that of her own. Slowly, it slowed, as did his breathing. Charlie thought he'd fallen asleep, but then he said, "That was incredible. You are incredible."

Not sure what to say, Charlie lifted her chin to look into his eyes. "Does that mean I can stay the night?" she asked.

Bass pressed his lips into her hair, squeezing her into him. "Yeah," he said in a half-whisper. "Stay with me." Charlie told herself it was just her own wishful thinking that made it sound to her ears like he was talking about more than just one night.


	4. Chapter 4

Charlie woke the next morning in Bass' bed. Groggily, she glanced at the clock. Just after 6 a.m. She immediately noticed that Bass was gone. Charlie closed her eyes and squealed a little bit, remembering the night before. To say it was the best sex of her life drastically understated things. Bass compared to the guys she typically went out with or hooked up with—it was no contest. Sure, she told herself, since Bass probably had twenty plus years of experience on all of them, it made sense. Still, she couldn't help grinning at the thought of the things he'd done, what he'd made her feel. Whatever the reason for it, Charlie knew she was quickly becoming addicted to Bass Monroe.

Sliding out of the bed, Charlie glanced around for something to wear to go find him. She rejected the idea of putting her dress from the night before back on – too much like a walk of shame even to just go down to the garage. Instead, Charlie picked up the dress shirt Bass had worn out the night before. Slipping it over her shoulders, she quickly buttoned it up, savoring the smell of Bass, still strong on the fabric. Her nipples tingled to hardness at the primal reminder of him. The bottom of the shirt just reached her upper thighs, and she rolled up the sleeves to her forearms.

Making her way out of the apartment, Charlie emerged into the garage. Sure enough, there was Bass, working on a car, music playing softly. He'd put on a pair of jeans but was shirtless. Charlie admired the sight of him for a few seconds, then approached him from behind. Wrapping her arms around his waist, she pressed her lips to the center of his back, loving the feeling of his warm skin, the smell of him.

Bass pulled her around in front of him and took in the sight of her in his shirt. "That looks really good on you," he said in greeting, running his hands over her hips and waist, smoothing the fabric against her body. "Better than it's ever looked on me."

Charlie grinned. "Yeah, didn't feel like wearing a dress. You been up long?"

"Awhile," Bass replied vaguely. "I don't really sleep that much."

"You mind taking me home in a little bit?" Charlie asked. "I don't exactly want to be here when the guys start showing up for work."

Bass smiled at her. "Of course. But first…" he ran his hands up her arms, taking her hands and pulling her body against his. Then he kissed her softly, leisurely. Charlie planted her hands on his chest, scratching her nails lightly into his flesh. Bass probed her mouth with his tongue, humming with pleasure as she responded with enthusiasm, melting into him.

Charlie felt Bass run his hands up and over her breasts, feeling her hard nipples through the cotton. Then he lowered his head, grasping her breast in one hand to push her nipple out so he could suckle and bite it through the fabric. The white cotton immediately became transparent, and Charlie's dusky nipple was visible. She whimpered with pleasure as Bass gave the same attention to her other breast, running his free hand up her thigh and over her bare ass.

Slipping his fingers between her legs, Bass touched the wetness gathered there, partly remaining from last night, partly from this morning. "Mm," he moaned, stroking his fingers over her clit.

Suddenly, Bass twirled her around. He reached around her and slammed shut the hood of the car he'd been working on and pressed her up against it. As she bent forward, the shirt Charlie was wearing rode up, exposing her ass and pussy to the humid air of the garage. She felt the rough fabric of Bass' jeans rubbing against her from behind. "Charlie," Bass groaned.

She heard the sound of rustling fabric behind her and felt the hard heat of his cock between her thighs, rubbing against her wetness, not entering her yet. "You feel so good."

Charlie arched into him, rubbing against him, seeking friction, urging him to take her. "Bass," she said, reaching behind her to place him against her entrance, pressing back against him.

Bass held himself slightly away, warning her, "I don't have any…"

Shaking her head, Charlie replied, "I'm on the pill. It's okay."

At that, Bass gave a guttural moan and slammed into her from behind, pushing her down onto the car in front of him, riding her hard and fast. "Been thinking about this," he grunted. "Wanting you just like this."

"Me too," she gasped, pushing back against him. Charlie felt the cold metal of the car against her aroused nipples and arched her back so that Bass was hitting her deep inside, right where she needed him. Charlie suddenly realized she was close, then falling over the edge, coming hard, crying out helplessly with pleasure.

Bass must have been close, too. He slammed into her even faster and harder. Suddenly, he pulled out, and Charlie felt warm liquid on her lower back as he came, groaning deeply, grasping her ass firmly, almost painfully. Slowly, he released her, then grabbed a clean shop rag from a pile to the side of them and swiped the fluid off her back.

"Sorry," he apologized as she pulled her shirt back in place. "Wasn't sure if you wanted me to…"

Charlie laughed. "It's fine. I could use a shower, anyway."

"I think I've got room for two in mine," Bass said, taking her by the hand. "Come on."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Charlie didn't return to the garage until Thursday, three days later. She didn't hear from Bass in the intervening time. She tried not to let it bother her, telling herself that he was older and had started dating in a time before people had their phones constantly in their pockets. Bass probably thought it was no big deal for them to go a couple days without talking. Guys these days thought if they didn't text or tweet you every three hours, you would forget who they were.

When she showed up to the garage, Bass didn't come over to speak with her right away. But when she met his eyes, he smiled knowingly at her, and she returned the same. As she got settled in to her tasks for the day, he came by and they talked and flirted a little bit. Not enough so anyone would notice, but enough that Charlie felt a hot blush paint her cheeks and excitement curl in her belly. Whatever this was between her and Bass was a delicious secret.

At one point, Charlie was helping out George, who was tinkering with the car that she and Bass had fucked on earlier that week, and Bass walked by. The hot stare he gave her flustered her so much, she dropped a heavy wrench on George's foot. As she apologized profusely, she saw Bass chuckle slightly and keep walking.

The day flew by, and at the end of it, word started spreading around that Bass and Miles had offered to take anyone who was available out for a few rounds of drinks at a bar nearby, the same place Charlie had gone with Jason. Once they were at the bar, Charlie had fun chatting with a few of the guys, sipping on a beer. After awhile, she looked around for Bass and spotted him playing pool. She sauntered over to the group he was with, studiously casual. As she drew close, she heard two of the guys groaning.

"Ugh, can't believe the old man took us down again…" one of them complained.

"This blows," the other agreed, handing his pool cue over to another of his friends.

Bass just stood there, smirking. "Tried to warn you guys."

The next couple of guys stepped up. "Okay, you should have to play with a teammate, too. Not fair you getting to take every shot."

Raising his eyebrows, Bass said, "You really think that's going to slow me down? Alright, Charlie, play with me."

Charlie had just brought her beer up for a sip and choked slightly. "What?" she said, wiping the corner of her mouth. "I suck at pool."

The guys Bass was about to play looked happy to hear that, and Bass shook his head. "I'm sure you're fine. Come on." He took the glass of beer out of her hand and set it on a nearby table, then pulled her toward him. Eyeing her up and down, he mused, "Let's see…" and selected a cue off the wall and handed it to her.

One of the other guys, John, broke, and Bass nodded toward Charlie. "You're up."

Sighing, and fully prepared to make an idiot of herself, Charlie looked over the table and found a shot that seemed passable. Bending over next to Bass, she tapped her cue inexpertly into the cue ball. It rolled wide of her target, spinning across the table, bumping a few balls but ultimately doing nothing. Charlie's breath caught as Bass trailed a hand over the curve of her hip as he stepped around her. "Not bad," he commented.

Blake, their other opponent, laughed and stepped up. He quickly smacked the cue ball into two accurate shots, sinking two of the striped balls. "Alright, now we're on a roll, he gloated." He got one more in before his final shot went wide.

Then it was Bass' turn. Charlie watched as his face turned into a mask of concentration as he scrutinized the table. Then he leaned over and, with that careful control he seemed able to turn on at will, tapped the cue ball with just enough force to send one ball reeling into a pocket. Then another. Then another. Then another. As he lined up his shots, he furrowed his brow and at one point bit his lip. Charlie thought she'd never seen anything so simultaneously sexy and adorable. Overall, he sank six balls before missing a corner shot.

John sank one more for his team, then Charlie was up again. Bass had stepped over to a table a few feet away from the game to sip his beer, and she felt her ass tingling as she bent over in front of him. She couldn't help but grin and roll her eyes. He must have been staring _hard_.

Charlie saw that John had lined up an incredibly easy shot for her, right in front of the middle pocket. Tension bunched in her shoulders, she whacked the cue ball. Miraculously, it hit just right, and her shot went in. Charlie shrieked in triumph and stood up, turning toward Bass. His face broke into a triumphant grin, and he looped an arm around her waist, pulling her in for a celebratory squeeze.

"Yes!" he exclaimed. "See?" he addressed the guys. "I'm not the only one who can kick your asses." Charlie shook her head modestly, and he released her.

"Yeah, yeah, see if you can do that again," Blake taunted her good-naturedly.

She couldn't. Blake was up, then Bass again. This time, he wasted no time finishing things off, showing no mercy in downing the rest of the balls. As soon as the eight ball disappeared, Bass turned to Charlie, smug, and said, "Couldn't have done it without you."

Swatting his bicep, she chastised him, "Sure."

Bass just laughed. "You up for another?"

Charlie shrugged, but then noticed Miles sitting in a booth in the corner by himself, looking even broodier than usual. "Think I'll pass," she answered. "Gonna go keep Miles company."

Following her gaze, Bass nodded. "Yeah, do that."

Charlie wandered across the bar and plopped herself down across from Miles. "Mind if I sit?"

Glancing up, Miles' eyes widened in slight panic. Hiding it quickly, he shrugged. "Go for it."

Charlie smirked. "Yeah. Thanks." Miles just stared at her blankly. "Better start thinking now," she added.

"Thinking?" Miles asked.

Charlie knew she was being a brat, but her frustration with Miles had gotten hard to hide. "Yeah, coming up with an excuse to get out of this conversation. At the shop there's always a customer, or a tire to change, or a computer glitch. I'm just wondering what you'll come up with to avoid me this time." The bitterness seeped through her voice loud and clear.

"Charlie," Miles said, catching on to what she was talking about. "It's not like that. I'm sorry I haven't had more time for you…"

"What, in the last three years?" Charlie cut him off. "I've been basically down the street for three fucking years, and until this job thing I don't think we even saw each other. Oh yeah, you gave me a ride to the airport that time." She tried to sound dismissive, but even to her it sounded like she was asking for an explanation.

Miles took a healthy sip of his drink. "It's complicated. There's a lot of weird history with me and your parents."

"Yeah, no shit," Charlie said. "Probably explains why I basically never met you growing up, why I even knew I had an Uncle Miles in Chicago because I saw my mom's Christmas card list my junior year of high school. But what does that even mean, weird history?"

Miles' gaze was a little hazy as he stared off into the middle distance. He'd been drinking hard and heavily, and Charlie's approach had just sped him up even more. Finally, he said, "I had an affair with your mom."

Charlie was floored. Not because she thought her mom was some paragon of virtue, but she always just seemed… asexual. Not the type to bother having an affair, as that would imply some need for sex. Charlie shuddered. Yuck.

"And so they've hated you for my whole life?" Charlie said. "The affair must have been a long time ago."

Miles frowned. "Yeah. A long time ago. Like 23 years ago."

Charlie froze. "What did you say?"

Miles dragged his eyes up from his glass of whiskey and met hers, blackish brown on greenish blue. "The affair. It was 23 years ago."

She was no dummy, and as the pieces crashed into place, Charlie started to panic, not sure how to react. Denial? Anger? Hurt?

"Are you saying… what? You're my…" she trailed off, unwilling to even say the words. It couldn't be. This rangy, surly, garage-owning stranger could not possibly be her father. This was all a bizarre joke. She tried uselessly to ignore the tiny voice in the back of her head that had always been there, telling her she didn't feel like she fit in with the rest of her family, like her mom and dad always preferred Danny to her, like they sometimes resented her.

"Yeah," Miles said shortly. "So there you go. Now you know. The big family secret."

Charlie objected, "You can't know anything for sure. She could have been with my dad in that time, too. They were married. There would be no way to know I'm… yours." She spit the last word out as if it tasted bad.

At that, Miles chuckled slightly. "Come on, don't you know your mom at all? I got a phone call about two days after you were born, demanding a hair sample. I think she made me overnight mail it. DNA testing confirmed it that week."

Charlie buried her head in her hands. "This cannot be happening." Then she lifted her head, glaring accusingly. "If you knew, why didn't you ever come see me? Try to be part of my life? Isn't that what dads do when they split from the kid's mom? Weekend visits, trips to the zoo, all that shit?"

Miles rubbed the bridge of his nose and shook his head. "No. Your mom made it clear I was never to contact you, not to be part of your life. She and your dad decided to work things out, and I was the collateral damage. Or, I guess I brought it on myself. Either way. I was a Marine, deploying for a year at a time, moving every other. What kind of life could I have given you, what kind of dad could I have been?" He sighed heavily. "It seemed like the best thing at the time."

Charlie shook her head slowly, still absorbing everything he was saying. "No," she retorted. "That's bullshit. You have a kid, you be a dad to your kid. You don't get to pawn her off on your fucking _brother_."

"Jesus, Charlie, I wasn't pawning you off," Miles exploded, pounding the table. "I thought about you every fucking day. Wondering if I did the right thing. If I should just show up on your doorstep one day. 'Hey, Charlie, I'm your dad, wanna go grab some ice cream?'" Charlie thought she could see tears gathering in his eyes. "I fucked up. I know that. I'm not here to make excuses to you."

"Good, because I don't want to hear them," Charlie said, feeling tears gathering in her own eyes, her voice growing thick. "God, I never should have listened to Bass. He was the one who told me I should talk to you about this family stuff in the first place."

Miles' mouth hardened into a thin line. "Yeah, Bass has been on me to tell you ever since you came to the garage. Not that it's any of his fucking business."

Charlie felt the room tilt around her again. "Bass knew?" Even as she asked the question, she knew the answer. He and Miles clearly told each other everything. Even if neither of them bothered to tell her. Tears stinging in her eyes, Charlie pushed herself up out of the booth, leaving Miles behind, sitting with his head in his hand.

Bass was standing between her and the door, chatting with one of the guys. As she blew by him, he reached out and grabbed her arm gently, "Hey, you okay?" he asked, his eyes alight with concern.

"You knew," she spat. "Don't fucking touch me." She yanked her arm away and barreled toward the door. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Bass set his drink down on the bar, say a few words to the guy he was with, and follow after her.

Charlie burst through the door to outside with Bass quick on her heels. "Charlie, hey," he barked, but she didn't turn around, pausing at the curb on the narrow sidewalk, looking up and down the street for a cab. She'd had a few too many to be comfortable driving, and there was no way in hell she was staying there.

"Charlie!" Bass walked around her to stand in front of her in the street, then backed her up against the brick wall of the building. Charlie wouldn't meet his eyes. She tried to push past him to walk away, but Bass put his arms up on either side of her, effectively trapping her between him and the wall.

"Get the fuck OFF of me," she said, shoving him, then punching him in the ribs, hard.

"No," he said darkly. "Beat the shit out of me if you want, Charlie, but you're not running away. I'm not going to let you be alone right now."

"I'm _fine_ ," Charlie said sarcastically.

"You're not fine," Bass said. "Trust me, I know. When something blows apart your world as you thought you knew it, you're not fine. And you can't trust yourself not to do something crazy." He paused, then in a low voice, pleaded with her, "Please, Charlie."

Finally, her tears started flowing freely. "How could you not tell me? You knew? That he's my dad?"

"I knew," Bass confirmed. "Fuck, I don't know. It didn't seem like my place. I told him over and over he should tell you. I'm glad he finally did."

Charlie sobbed, shuddering, relaxing into the wall in front of Bass. She knew he was right. It would have been wrong for her to hear it from Bass.

"Shhh," Bass said, pulling her into his arms. "Baby, I'm so sorry."

Just then, Miles strode out of the bar, looking up and down the street. When he saw Bass holding Charlie, he stopped dead in his tracks, his mouth falling open in shock. "What the fuck?" he demanded, walking toward them aggressively. "Bass?"

Bass pushed Charlie to his side, slightly behind him, and stared Miles down warningly. "Not now, Miles. We will do this, later, I swear, but not now."

Something in Bass' voice, or maybe the high emotion of the night, caused Miles to back down. "We _will_ do this later," he said harshly, still staring at Bass and Charlie, standing together. Bass nodded and took Charlie's hand, leading her down the street, back toward the garage.

When they got there, Bass said, "I really don't want you to be alone, but if you want to go home, I'll take you. But I'd rather you come upstairs with me."

Charlie, who still hadn't said anything, just nodded, sniffling. Once they were in Bass' place, he settled her in on his sofa with a blanket, and he went to the kitchen to make tea. "You want food?" he called.

Charlie realized she was starving. "Yeah," she called. "Whatever's fine."

Bass reemerged from the kitchen a few minutes later with a steaming cup of tea and a heaping sandwich. "Hope this is okay, it's pretty much all I know how to make."

Charlie cracked a smile and reached for the food. "It's great, thanks." She added, "Do you care if we just watch TV? I don't really want to talk."

Bass nodded and flipped on the TV, running through channels until Charlie voiced her approval. Then he set the remote down and pulled her feet into his lap. They sat comfortably like that for a long while, not saying anything, just being together.

Finally, Charlie started to rub her eyes. Sitting up, she asked Bass, "Do you mind if I stay? I'm sorry, I'm really tired all of a sudden."

"Don't be sorry," he said. "I want you to stay, of course. Come on." He led her into the bedroom, where she collapsed onto the bed, peeling her jeans off and stretching out under the covers in her tank top and underwear. Bass stripped off his jeans and shirt, turned off the lights, and climbed in beside her.

Charlie scooted over until she was flush against Bass, with him spooning her. Obligingly, Bass wrapped his arms around her, nestling one leg between hers and resting his cheek in her hair. Charlie felt Bass' chest rise and fall against her back. She felt so safe, so protected in his arms.

"Thank you," she said quietly, not sure he would hear her. "For taking care of me."

"I'm glad you let me," he replied.

Charlie nodded, shifting even closer to Bass. As she did, she felt his hardness behind her. Her heart thudded slightly, and she rubbed against him, her thin cotton panties allowing her to feel him behind her. Charlie turned slightly toward Bass and reached behind her, grasping his dick through the thin cotton of his boxers.

Bass pushed his pelvis into her hand reflexively, but said, "We don't have to do this. We can just go to sleep, it's fine."

Not relenting in her stroking, Charlie breathed, "Maybe I don't want to go to sleep."

Bass groaned and pulled his boxers out of the way, putting his naked cock in her hand. Charlie still had her back to him, so the angle was a little awkward, but she firmly jerked him, feeling the precum off his head wet on her hand. After a few more seconds, she released him and pulled her panties down and off her legs, kicking them free of her feet. Then she pushed her ass out toward Bass in invitation. She heard him put on a condom, then he was back against her.

Bass rubbed his cock along her slit, gathering her wetness before pushing into her slowly. Once he was firmly seated inside her tight heat, he wrapped his arms around her again, kissing along her neck as he thrust inside her, slowly, almost reverently. Charlie felt like she was completely surrounded by Bass as he wrapped himself around her and pushed inside her, filling her.

Charlie closed her eyes and lost herself in sensation as Bass pumped in and out of her. As he did, he murmured into her ear, "So beautiful, Charlie… So perfect… you feel amazing. Fucking love being in you, love being with you like this." He seemed unable to stop talking, telling her in every possible way how gorgeous she was, how she made him feel.

Charlie basked in it, soaking in his words and his touches as he ran his hands gently over her breasts, her stomach, her arms. It felt like a totally different Bass from the dominating, imperious man she'd had sex with before. After several minutes, he reached down and rubbed her clit as he fucked her steadily. When her orgasm took her, it was a sensation of warmth, starting in her pussy and spreading throughout her body, leaving her boneless, sated.

Bass continued to thrust into her. "Gonna come, baby," he murmured into her ear. "Gonna come from fucking you, God, feels so good… so hot, so tight. Charlie, I… I…" His breath caught, and she felt him still against her, deep inside her, then release with a groan.

Charlie felt Bass' breath in her hair as he came down from his high. He continued kissing her neck gently every so often, otherwise lying quietly. Charlie realized that over the last few hours, Bass had made her feel more cherished than she had felt in a long time, maybe ever in her life. And on the very night she needed it most. Tears gathered in her eyes for the second time, but this time they were tears of gratitude. Bass Monroe was turning out to be more than she'd dared hope for.

Forcing herself not to think about Miles – her dad? – or her parents – her mom and Ben? – Charlie finally drifted off to sleep in Bass' arms.

 **A/N: Thank you all so much for all the lovely reviews, they mean so much! So that was the big reveal about Miles and the family – it's canon now, so shouldn't be too surprising, but next up will be Miles dealing with finding out about Bass and Charlie, and Charlie really absorbing what it means that Bass knew all along that she's Miles' daughter. I love hearing your thoughts, they really help shape the story and are such good inspiration and motivation!**


	5. Chapter 5

Charlie was awakened the next morning by Bass' cell phone ringing out in the kitchen. Bass answered it quickly, but it was too late. Sitting up slowly, she stretched. Though she wasn't exactly trying to, she couldn't help but overhear Bass' side of the conversation.

"Jesus Christ, Miles, it's six in the morning… yeah, I was up, but- … what's going on with us? I don't know, we're seeing each other … fuck you, I'm not telling you that, you draw your own conclusions." Bass paused for a long time, and Charlie held her breath, imagining Miles ranting on the other end of the phone. "Look," Bass finally broke in. "I understand why you feel that way, but she's really not just some random hookup. You think I would do this if she was? Come on…I mean, she's amazing Miles. Beautiful, and smart, and… Yeah, I know you know that, my point is that I know it. … I can't promise to do that. It's up to her what she wants to do. Miles? Miles?" Charlie heard Bass sigh impatiently and toss the phone down.

Charlie felt a rising sense of dread and sadness as she processed what she'd just overheard and realized what she had to do. Obviously, Miles was not happy about the idea of her and Bass together. She was thrilled that Bass had defended them, and that he felt as strongly about her as she did about him, even after such a short time. But Charlie couldn't continue seeing Bass, knowing that Miles disapproved. How was she supposed to build a relationship with the man she'd just found out was her father, while at the same time dating his best friend against his wishes? As much as she'd come to care about Bass, she knew that the right thing to do was to put family first. She had to end things with Bass.

Only then did Charlie register the sound and smells of food cooking. Her stomach turned over, and not just from hunger. Bass had made her breakfast. It was so sweet, it made her feel even worse.

After getting dressed and cleaned up, Charlie walked out of the bedroom. Bass was standing in the small kitchenette in a gray t-shirt and jeans, barefoot, his hair still mussed from a night's sleep. Charlie bit her lip. God, he was sexy, even more so the less he tried to be. When he spotted her, his face lit up with a smile.

"Hey," he greeted her. "Didn't expect to see you for a couple hours."

"Yeah, the phone woke me up," Charlie responded, then immediately kicked herself.

Bass' face dropped. "Oh. Sorry. Did you uh… hear anything else?"

"Just that you were talking," Charlie lied. "Anything important?" She walked over to Bass and saw that he had made a pan of scrambled eggs.

Bass pulled them off the burner and set them aside. He turned and wrapped both arms around Charlie's waist, pulling her against him. "Just Miles. Berating me, as expected."

Charlie forced a laugh, but it came out fake, and Bass looked down at her in concern. "You're worried about Miles," he stated.

"I just…" Charlie began, stepping away from Bass, who immediately crossed his arms defensively across his chest. "After thinking about it more… I'm not sure this is a good idea."

"This being…" Bass prompted, though his expression showed he knew what she meant.

"Us. Dating. I think maybe we should cool things off until…" she hesitated. "Until I figure things out with Miles. I just found out he's my freaking father. I don't want to add to the weirdness any more than I have to."

"Because us dating is 'weirdness,'" he said sarcastically.

"Uh, dating my new-found dad's best friend while I'm trying to create a relationship with said dad, yeah," Charlie said snarkily, picking up on his tone. "Kinda weird."

For a few seconds, Bass regarded her silently, his expression stormy. At last, he spoke, "Fine. Then you should probably go."

Charlie's heart broke a little at how terse he was being, obviously trying to cover his hurt feelings. She wanted him to know that she was hurting, too, even if she thought she was doing the right thing. Reaching out slightly toward him, she said, "I don't have to go right away. I mean, I feel bad. You made breakfast and everything."

Bass pursed his lips and rolled his eyes in irritation. Snatching the pan of eggs with one hand, he opened the trash can with the other and dumped the food into the garbage with a thunk. "There," he said. "No more breakfast. Okay? We good now?"

Charlie felt tears welling up in her eyes. "Yeah," she said, her voice thick with emotion. "We're good." Turning blindly, she grabbed her purse off the hall table and slipped her shoes on. She could feel Bass' stare on her back the whole time, but she didn't dare look at him, afraid of what she'd see. Instead, she let herself out the door of his apartment, not letting the tears fall down her face until it had slammed behind her.

On Sunday afternoon, Charlie and Miles were meeting for lunch at a café near her apartment. They'd been texting sporadically since Thursday night, and had decided to meet up to talk in person. Charlie was nervous as she sat and waited for Miles. She'd tried on at least five outfits before settling on her usual jeans and a tank top, a lot more effort than most women probably put into dressing for lunch with their father, she thought.

Miles finally showed up, fifteen minutes late, and settled into the booth across from her. Charlie had slight déjà vu, back to Thursday night when he'd made his drunken revelation of her paternity. Unfortunately, this time, they were both sober, and it was even more awkward.

"So, uh. How do we do this?" Miles asked.

"You're asking me?" Charlie said with a small laugh. "How should I know? Aren't you supposed to be the wise parental figure here?"

Miles made a sour face, indicating that was the last thing he saw himself as. "Okay, uhhh. Let's just… maybe we can just spend time together and talk. About normal stuff. Not crazy-family-secret stuff. That work for you?"

Charlie nodded. "Works for me. Starting with: I don't think I can work at the garage anymore."

"Why not?" Miles asked.

"I don't know. If we're trying to get to know each other, me hanging around your business while you're actually doing work all day probably isn't the best way. Plus…" Charlie wasn't sure whether she should say anything, but she'd already started to, so went on. "I don't think it would be a good idea for me to be around Bass right now."

Miles froze, the coffee cup still touching his lips. Slowly, he lowered it, his face impassive. "And why is that?" he said carefully.

"He didn't tell you?" Charlie asked. Miles just stared at her, so she continued, "I told him I didn't think we should see each other anymore. With finding out you're my… with finding out everything, it just didn't seem right."

Miles sank back into his seat and exhaled, blowing his hair up his forehead. "Can't imagine he took it very well," he said, studying Charlie carefully. Charlie got the sense he was waiting for confirmation that Bass had done something untoward, so Miles would still have an excuse to be pissed off at him.

"He was okay," Charlie insisted. "I think we're both a little upset, but… whatever." She was dying to change the subject.

"Alright," Miles said, picking up on her discomfort. "But I do think you should keep working at the garage. You have to do that school project, and I promise I'll try to be better about giving you more of my time. Don't worry about Bass. He'll be fine. I'll make sure of it."

Charlie nodded. Truth be told, she didn't want to have to start over at a new job for the semester, and she would like to the opportunity to keep seeing Miles regularly. And Bass, her inner voice taunted her, but she tried to ignore it. "Okay," she agreed. "I'll stay."

That topic exhausted, the silence stretched between Miles and Charlie as they both visibly struggled to find some common ground to discuss. Charlie considered, and dismissed, bringing up some garage work gossip, not wanting to get any of the guys in trouble. She tried in vain to remember any sports teams that Miles liked, but realized she wouldn't know anything about any of them, anyway. Flustered, Charlie opened her mouth to ask Miles how the coffee was, when he spoke first.

"So, uh… have you ever heard of Burnt?" he asked.

Charlie frowned, "Burnt?"

Miles said, "Yeah, the club? In the south side?" Charlie shook her head, and he elaborated, "Well, anyway, um, I'm a part owner."

Charlie was impressed. "Wow, the garage and a night club? Go Uncle Miles," she commented, then felt a fierce blush overtake her features. "I mean… fuck."

Miles actually gave her a half-smile at that. "Old habits," he said. "Don't worry about it. Anyway, I was going to say, if you and some of your girl friends ever wanted to come by, I can make sure you get the total VIP treatment. No line, free drinks, lounge access, the whole deal."

It seemed that Miles was doing his best to relate to her as a young twenty-something woman, Charlie thought. She was not at all a clubbing type of girl – she couldn't recall ever having been to one. And her "girl friends" consisted of a couple of women in her calc study group and her roommate, none of whom themselves were all that into big nights out on the town. Still, Miles was trying. And she didn't want to shoot him down.

"That, uh… that sounds great," she said. "My roommate is out of town next weekend, but maybe the one after?"

"I'll make sure they know," Miles promised. "Just tell them who you are and you'll be taken care of."

Charlie smiled, "Great." Finally, she remembered a small pennant she had seen in Miles' office. "So, how are the Bears doing?" she asked gamely, smiling as Miles launched into a recount of last week's football results. Charlie found herself relaxing and actually enjoying being out to a meal with… her dad.

From then on, Miles made good on his promise to try to be more attentive to Charlie at work, taking time out of his day to explain things to her and ask her questions about how she was doing. And Jason was as helpful as ever. Charlie had started to blend in with the crew, feeling more and more like one of the guys every day. She really was enjoying her time at the garage, with one exception: Bass.

It was absolute torture being so close to him, but barely talking to him. Every once in awhile, they were forced to interact, and at those times, though they maintained a businesslike facade, Charlie could tell they were both struggling. Almost every day, she questioned her decision to break off whatever had been starting between them. The intense, lingering stares that had drawn her to Bass in the first place continued. They didn't seem able to stop themselves. Or, Charlie admitted to herself, to want to stop.

Even if she hadn't been seeing him regularly, Charlie knew she wouldn't have been able to get Bass off her mind. He had made her feel like no man before ever had. She missed him terribly, but she convinced herself it was for the best that they weren't seeing each other. That didn't stop her from remembering the intimacy they'd shared, the way his hands touched her body, the way he felt buried deep inside her. No other man held any interest for her anymore. Alone in her bed at night, memories of Bass mingled with fantasies as she brought herself to desperate but ultimately unsatisfying climaxes, thinking of him, wanting him.

On the Friday two weeks after she and Bass broke up, Jason gave Charlie the phone number of a prospective customer. He asked her to take it to Bass, who was up in the reception area. As usual, Charlie dreaded interacting with Bass, but at the same time was thrilled to have the excuse. When she found Bass and he turned and saw her, the tumult in his eyes mirrored her own emotions.

"Hey," Charlie said. "Uh, Jason asked me to give you this. Potential customer, I think. He wants you to call him." She held out the card with the guy's information on it.

Bass paused for a second, then reached for the card. Instead of taking it right away, he slid his fingers over the back of Charlie's hand, along hers, then finally plucked the card out of her grasp. Just that slight contact had Charlie's head pounding.

"Thanks," he said, somehow loading the word with meaning.

"Yeah," Charlie said. She should turn around and walk back into the garage, she knew. But she didn't want to. She wanted to stay right there, close to Bass, just for a few more seconds.

"Was there something else?" Bass asked softly, taking a half-step toward her. Nothing that the few customers in the waiting area would notice, but Charlie certainly did, her body flooding with warmth.

"Bass…" she pleaded, though she wasn't sure what for. For him to hold her? Forgive her? Do something to try to get her back?

The spell was broken as Miles came through the door of the shop and spotted them. Charlie gasped and stepped back from Bass. Miles looked at the two of them in concern, but Charlie ran off before he could say anything. As she did, she swore to stay away from Bass from then on.

That night, Charlie got home late after a night of drinking wine and watching dumb TV shows at a friend's house. She said a quick goodnight to her roommate and got in bed, but she was too wired to sleep. Idly, she pulled out her phone and started browsing through Facebook.

It didn't take long for the temptation to tickle at her mind – to check Bass' profile. She'd looked at it before, and it had dozens of photos of him looking heart-meltingly sexy. Charlie had been irritated but not surprised to see that most of them featured some gorgeous woman hanging all over Bass. He never posted anything himself, but apparently, he didn't have the sense to set his profile on private to hide the extent of his conquests. Charlie assured herself that she wasn't just another one of them. Somehow she was sure of it, though reason would suggest otherwise.

Most days, she managed to restrain herself from looking for an update, but not this time. She clicked on the search for "Bass Monroe," embarrassingly saved in her history. She'd have to figure out how to delete that, later. Her heart leaped when she saw that there was a new photo in his newsfeed. Posted just two hours earlier.

It was a picture of Bass and two women. Well really, it was a selfie taken by one woman, with her friend next to her kissing her on the cheek, and Bass on her other side, looking off camera, seemingly mid-conversation with someone. Charlie's heart ached at how gorgeous he looked, in profile. Her blood boiled with jealousy. Who was this skank, taking selfies of herself with Bass, nestled into his side?

The news item read: Anjali Das added a new photo – with Bass Monroe and Cassandra Elliot. Charlie rolled her eyes at Anjali's photo caption: "So loving VIP treatment at Burnt! #bestclub #bestguy #bestbff"

Disgusted, Charlie clicked her screen off and laid back in bed. Well, what did she think was going to happen? She hadn't expected Bass to run off and join a monastery after they'd split. But that didn't mean that she wasn't insanely jealous to see him just two weeks later, wrapped around some other woman, at Miles' club no less. Groaning, Charlie buried her face in her pillow and tried to sleep.

Back at the garage the following week, Charlie tried not to let her jealousy and irritation show in her limited interactions with Bass. For the most part, she succeeded. But on Friday, an hour or so before the shop closed, Charlie couldn't help getting in a snarky dig at the end of her conversation with Bass about some missing receipts.

"Have a great weekend," Charlie said. "Try not to forget which women you're seeing on which nights."

Bass' head snapped up from the paper he'd been rifling through. He grinned wolfishly at her. "I never do," he said cockily. "I keep my women happy, always."

Charlie felt pathetic. Why had she even brought it up? At a loss for words, she just glared and walked off, feeling Bass' eyes on her the whole time.

As she passed by one of the cars she'd been helping on earlier that day, the mechanic under the hood, Marco, popped his head up. "Hey, Charlie, come here a second," he said, sounding frustrated. When she was by his side, he pointed at two wires connecting to some electrical components. "Did you do this?"

Charlie nodded, "Yeah, earlier today, like you told me. I connected this one," she pointed, "To the stereo, and this one to the wiring harness."

Marco threw up his hands in exasperation, "No wonder the fucking stereo's blown. You got it backwards, goddamnit."

Charlie felt blood hot in her face. She was absolutely sure she'd done what he'd told her. She'd asked him twice, and he'd been impatient with having to go over it. Charlie hadn't even thought to question what he'd said; after all, she wasn't the experienced mechanic, of the two of them.

"No, I didn't," she argued. "You told me to do it that way. If anyone screwed up, it was you."

"Bullshit!" Marco yelled. "Are you fucking kidding me? That's a five hundred dollar part you just busted, there, princess!"

Suddenly, Bass was beside Charlie. "Hey," he interrupted. "What the hell's going on here?"

Marco was seething. "She screwed up the wiring job I asked her to do, and now the stereo is fucked, and she won't even admit it!" he accused.

"That's because I didn't screw up!" Charlie yelled back. "You told me to do it that way, and that's exactly what I did."

"Stop LYING, you stupid fucking bitch!" Marco took a threatening step toward her.

Bass blocked Marco's body with his, staring down the younger man. "Get yourself under control, now," he said in a dangerous tone. "And apologize to Charlie, or I swear to God…" he didn't finish the sentence. He didn't have to.

But Marco wasn't too bright. "I'm not apologizing to that little daddy's girl, spoiled cunt," he spat.

In an instant, Bass' hands were on the guy's shoulders, as if he were prepared to shove him down, but he stopped himself short. Instead, he said, his voice shaking with rage, "Get out of here. You're done. I don't ever want to see you again."

"What!" Marco exclaimed. "Boss, seriously, look I'm sorry, but she just…"

"I said get. The fuck. OUT," Bass yelled, and Marco must have seen something in his eyes that made him decide not to fight anymore. Shaking his head and cursing, he practically ran out of the garage. The few guys who were standing around watching turned silently back to their work, tension thick in the room.

Bass turned to Charlie, and she hurried to explain, "I did it the way he asked me, I swear."

Bass shook his head. "Doesn't matter, but I believe you. That guy's lucky he just ended up fired and not fucking killed." He put a hand on her arm where the others couldn't see and ran a thumb tenderly down the inside of her elbow. "Go home. I'll see you Monday."

Charlie nodded, but she couldn't help thinking that Monday sounded much too far away.

The next night, Saturday, Charlie and her friends hopped out of a cab in front of Burnt. Miles had been so excited when she told him they were going, she was glad she'd taken him up on his offer. Along with spending more time with Charlie at the garage, they'd been trying to do coffee or meals a couple times a week. Slowly, things were becoming more comfortable between them, and Charlie was glad they were making the effort. She tried not to think about whether it had been worth breaking up with Bass; her heart was still undecided on that point.

For her clubbing excursion, Charlie had convinced her roommate and two of her study group friends to come along. They'd all been skeptical at first, but her promises of free drinks and encouragement to try a new adventure had won out. Charlie was wearing a skimpy black dress that was tight, short, and low cut. She'd worried that she might be overdressed, but looking at the people in line, she was glad she'd gone all-out. She didn't want it to get back to Miles that she had shown up at his club looking like a loser.

Charlie wondered if it was reckless to be going to the club where she knew there was a decent chance Bass would be hanging out. And if she was being honest with herself, she was hoping he'd be there, even if it was bad for her, even if it meant seeing him with someone else. Whatever the circumstances, she missed him. She wanted to see him.

When Charlie gave her name to the bouncer, he checked the list and nodded, gesturing for the women to hand over their IDs and then wait nearby. He said something into his radio, and a few minutes later, a short guy with spiky hair came out and pulled them inside.

"Hey, I'm Robbie, one of the promoters," he introduced himself. "Anything you need, you ask for me, ok?" He took them through the entrance and over to one of the bars. Charlie saw him exchange a few words with the bartender and point at them, then Robbie came back over. "Alright, you're all set here. Upstairs is the dance floor, and in the far back up there is the VIP lounge area, so if you go, just tell them Robbie said it's cool, and they can check with me. Ok?" He walked off just as quickly as he'd appeared.

Charlie and her friends got their drinks and headed up to the dance floor. Closing her eyes, Charlie felt the music pulsing through her and couldn't stop a grin from spreading across her face. It had been a tough week. She was still thinking about Bass and still hating the way they left things, but maybe she could distract herself for a few hours.

As she and her friends looked for a spot to dance, Charlie spotted the VIP area that Robbie had mentioned. It was a raised platform, maybe three feet above the dance floor, with a metal railing sectioning it off from the dance floor and couches facing both outwards and inwards for more privacy. Charlie picked a spot near the stairs leading up to the lounge and started dancing.

It didn't take long for men to start approaching their small group. Charlie danced with guys she deemed attractive enough, but she deftly angled her body and movements such that they kept their hands in strictly PG-rated areas. She wasn't particularly interested in being groped. One guy yelled in her ear, "You're sexy!" Another told her, "I think I love you!" Charlie rolled her eyes at them, but hey, they were cute and she was bored. She tried to ignore the fact that none of the men she was dancing with even came close to turning her on the way Bass did with just a single look.

Charlie casually glanced around the room as she was dancing. Her hands rested on top of the hands of the guy who was behind her, stopping them from moving any higher or lower than her stomach. Her eyes passed over the people in the VIP lounge, and suddenly, her breath caught in her chest.

Bass was there. Bass was there, sitting on a couch with a couple of women. But he was staring at her, only her, with that intense gaze that made Charlie feel like she'd been stripped bare. Charlie knew he'd seen her spot him, because his gaze never wavered, but he raised his glass slightly at her, as if in a mock-toast, then drained whatever liquor was in it.

Charlie smirked. She thought of the photo of him with those two random women and how jealous she'd felt. She thought, maybe a taste of Bass' own medicine was exactly what was needed. Self-conscious now, she danced as sexily as she knew how, running a hand along her the side of her neck and down her body, gyrating her hips into the guy she was with. Charlie looked away from Bass but was aware of him watching her the entire time. She bent over and slowly straightened up, arching her back, tossing her hair over her shoulder.

This went on for a while, Charlie continuing to do everything in her power to make Bass eat his heart out. Rationally, she knew that she was the one who ended things between them, that she had no right to be jealous of him hanging out with other women. But Charlie wasn't very rational when it came to Bass, as it turned out. And she wanted him to want her as badly as she still wanted him.

Finally, Charlie needed a break. She shouted to her friend that she was going to the bathroom and made her way to the dimly lit hallway between the two main dance areas, where the restrooms were.

When she emerged from the bathroom and started making her way down the hallway, she was suddenly blocked by a body in front of her. She looked up indignantly and realized it was Bass. Instinctively, she backed up into the wall, and in response he loomed in closer to her, trapping her against the wall with one arm on each side of her head. Charlie's breath quickened, her body quickly responding to Bass' proximity, arousal flooding her veins.

"Charlie," Bass said, his voice barely audible over the music pulsing down the hallway. He looked down at her with a mix of amusement and intensity.

"You followed me?" was Charlie's response.

Bass smirked. "That's what you wanted, wasn't it? Why you were putting on your little show for me."

Charlie blushed at being called out, glad it was too dark for him to notice. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Really." Bass said flatly. "Cause it seemed like you were trying to get my attention. And believe me, sweetheart, it worked."

"Shouldn't you be getting back to your date?" Charlie asked, deflecting. "Anjali or whoever?"

Bass rolled his eyes. "Anjali is the other owner's daughter. She hangs out here a lot, that's it. No date."

Charlie breathed in deeply at this revelation, which had made her much happier than it should have. She licked her lips, pressing her hands into the wall to stop herself from reaching for Bass.

Bending closer to her body, his lips almost grazing her ear, he whispered to her in a low voice, "Tell me you want me to touch you."

Charlie felt herself getting wet. She desperately wanted to say yes, wanted Bass to pin her against the wall and grind into her hard, to kiss her, claim her. But she reminded herself why that was a bad idea. Miles. She looked up into Bass' gaze. His eyes met hers with obvious want.

"I can't," she said weakly, even as her body arched up toward his, not quite making contact.

Bass was undeterred. "Say it," he growled into her ear.

"Fuck," Charlie finally cried out. "Yes, Bass, touch me." The words were barely out of her mouth when his hands were on her, running over the smooth fabric of her dress. His touch felt like a quenching drink of water after weeks in the desert. Charlie gasped with pleasure, twining her arms around his shoulders, and their lips met in a passionate kiss.

Pressing her against the wall, Bass kissed her roughly, holding her body against his. Charlie melted into his arms, pleasure rising in her at the feeling of him so close, every cell of her being clamoring for more.

They paused for breath, and regret washed over her. What the hell was she doing, making out with Bass in the middle of Miles' club, where anyone could see? No matter how much she wanted Bass, she couldn't alienate Miles right now. Not when they'd almost made peace with the truth about Miles being her father. He was trying so hard, and what was she doing? Jumping on Bass the first chance she got.

"Wait," Charlie said, pressing her hands to Bass' chest. "We have to stop. I'm sorry, I… Miles… I can't."

Clearly frustrated, Bass let her go and stepped back, not bothering to argue. Roasting Charlie with one last glance backward, he stalked down the hall, leaving her leaning against the wall alone, breathing hard, wanting desperately to call him back.


	6. Chapter 6

Charlie went to the garage on Monday, dreading running into Bass. She was relieved that he wasn't in the work area when she arrived. She got to work, helping Jason in restoring a classic Ferrari. She'd learned a lot in her time on the job, and she was able to do more than act as a gofer, working with him in tandem to actually get the job done quickly.

After a few hours of work, Jason went off to take a coffee break. Standing alone by the car, Charlie heard Miles' voice carrying across the garage. Charlie glanced over to where he was, and she saw that he had walked in with Bass. They stopped just a few feet from her, arguing about something to do with a customer's bill that the man wanted refunded. Bass seemed pretty pissed off.

"If you want to bend over for this guy and give him his money back, fine," Bass snapped, and Miles threw his hands up in exasperation.

"Jesus, what do you care?" Miles retorted. "It's like two hundred bucks."

"I care because it seems like you've gone soft on me," Bass snapped. "First giving money back to some cheap jackass when you know there's nothing wrong with the work I did. Not to mention inviting teenyboppers to go hang out at your club."

"The fuck are you talking about? Teenyboppers?" Miles asked. Charlie's face burned hot. She knew exactly what Bass was talking about. Sure enough, Bass met her eyes as he delivered his next line.

"Yeah, Miles. I was trying to have a good time there Saturday night, when a bunch of drunk college chicks showed up. Totally killed the vibe."

Miles followed Bass' glance over to Charlie, and a murderous glare stole over his face. "Watch your fucking mouth, Bass," he warned. "And watch how you talk about Charlie."

"Whatever," Bass muttered, and pushed past Miles, striding out of the back of the garage, slamming the door hard behind him.

Miles made his way over to Charlie, who was standing shell-shocked at the confrontation she'd just witnessed. "I'm sorry about that," he said. "I'm not sure what the hell his problem is, but there is nothing wrong with you hanging out at the club or anywhere else you want to, alright? I'll make sure he shows a little more fucking respect in the future."

Charlie shook her head. "Don't worry about it," she said. "He's just mad because…" She realized she couldn't put it into words. Because what? Because she'd stupidly broken up with him out of worry about what Miles would think? Because she still wanted him, and he knew it and wanted her, too?

Miles looked concerned. "Listen, I know you and Bass were… I mean… did something happen? At the club?" Charlie could tell Miles was fighting to stay calm. She realized he thought Bass had somehow hurt her, rather than the other way around. Now she was going to be responsible for Miles being mad at Bass for no reason, on top of everything else. She had to fix this.

"No. I mean, yes," Charlie explained awkwardly. "We saw each other. And honestly, I think I still like him. But it would be too weird, considering."

"Considering I'm your dad," Miles said flatly. "Great. Just another thing I've screwed up for you." He ran his hand through his hair in frustration.

"What?" Charlie said, genuinely confused.

"Look, I'm not really into doing the whole overprotective-dad-with-a-shotgun thing," Miles explained. "When I first saw you and Bass together, yeah, I didn't like it. Figured he was playing you."

"But?" Charlie prompted.

Miles sighed. "But for the last couple weeks, he's been an absolute nightmare. And you've been moping around here like your dog died. I'm not here to make you unhappy, Charlie. That's not what I want. If you want to date Bass, date Bass."

Charlie couldn't believe what MIles was saying. "I just thought, with you and I having so much to figure out already-"

Miles interrupted her with a shrug. "So, we'll figure it out. No matter what. Nothing's going to make me ditch you or not want to be your dad, okay? I've wasted enough time already." Charlie felt her eyes welling up with tears as Miles articulated, better than she'd been able to, what she'd really been afraid of this whole time.

"Thanks," she said. Miles nodded, looking emotional himself. Charlie felt like if it were anyone but them, they would have hugged. Instead, she added, "Anyway, I'm not sure Bass wants anything to do with me," she said. "He seemed pretty angry today."

Miles snorted. "And you think that means he doesn't want to date you? Come on. It takes a lot to get under Bass' skin. Clearly you did. I haven't seen him with another woman since you. He seems pretty messed up about whatever is going on with you guys."

Charlie considered this.. "Do you think I should…"

Gesturing impatiently, Miles said, "Yes, go talk to him, god." He practically pushed her toward the door to the back lot, where Bass had gone. Smiling a bit self-consciously, Charlie followed the route he'd taken.

There he was, leaning against the wall outside. He'd obviously heard her approach—she'd crashed through the door like an ox—but he didn't turn toward her.

"Hey," Charlie greeted him, walking over. Bass didn't reply. "Um, can we talk?" Again, Bass didn't respond or look at her. He wasn't making this easy.

"Look, I talked to Miles, and, um, he doesn't care if we date. Said we should do whatever we want, not to worry about him." Bass still didn't look at her. "Bass? Did you hear me?"

Finally, he turned to her, slowly. His stare was vacant and uninterested. "Am I supposed to jump for joy now?" he said.

Charlie stepped back at the scorn in his voice. "No I just, I thought…" she trailed off. Was Miles wrong? Was Bass totally over her? She felt like an idiot.

"Look, I appreciate the thought," Bass continued. "But I'm not really in the mood to deal with your next mood swing. I'm a little too old to be playing on-again, off-again games. Sorry." He pushed himself off the wall and walked toward his car.

Charlie was left staring after him as he walked away, wondering how the hell she was going to make this right.

Bass didn't come back to the garage all day. With Miles' permission, Charlie stayed there past closing time, hoping to catch Bass once he came home. She had a few textbooks with her, so she set up in Miles' office, where she could keep an eye for any cars pulling in. Miles also told her he would text Bass and tell him directly the same thing he'd told Charlie.

Around 9:30, Charlie got a text from Miles. "Bass told me he's at Duncan's place. He usually stays there for awhile." Charlie gasped in excitement. She was actually going to be able to find Bass and talk to him. She glanced down at her stained, greasy work outfit, and realized she was going to have to stop at home first.

Charlie changed into a simple black shift and thigh-high stockings. If she found Bass, she didn't want to think she was trying to seduce him, necessarily. But if it got to that point, she wouldn't mind being ready. She got to the bar around eleven o'clock, long after the surrounding streets were quiet. She made her way through the antiques shop, which felt even stranger without Bass to guide her. But she found the secret door again, to her relief.

Charlie stepped inside and greeted Gould. "Hi, I'm just—"

He interrupted her, "Ah, hello, I remember you! You are here to meet Mr. Monroe?"

Charlie's mouth was suddenly too dry for her to speak. She just nodded, and Gould gestured for her to follow him.

She saw Bass right away. He wasn't secreted in one of the intimate, romantic booths this time. Instead, he sat at one of the small wooden tables for two, a few rows back from the stage, alone in a sea of other couples talking and laughing. The band's instruments sat abandoned and silent; apparently, they were on a break. Soft music piped through the club's speakers during the interlude.

The host walked her to the table, and Bass looked up from his phone and set it down. Charlie saw his face light up in a smile at the sight of her, before he controlled himself and gestured to the seat across from him. Gould pulled out the chair for Charlie, and she attempted to sit down gracefully as he pushed it in beneath her.

Charlie was stunned by how incredibly gorgeous Bass looked. He was wearing a navy blazer over a sky-blue shirt that was unbuttoned at the collar, exposing the tanned skin of his neck. His hair was tousled with just the right amount of gel, and Charlie wanted to run her fingers through it. Sadly, she reminded herself, she no longer had that right.

"So I guess you really did like this place, huh," Bass finally said.

"No, I… well, yes. But I came here to find you," she explained.

"No kidding," he commented, raising his glass of whiskey to take a sip, his eyes never leaving hers.

The waitress stopped at their table, and Bass ordered Charlie the same thing he was drinking.

"So why did you come to find me?" he asked, as if he were genuinely curious. As if he didn't know.

Charlie wouldn't dignify that with an answer. "You're pretty dressed up to be sitting in a jazz club alone," she commented instead.

Bass shrugged. "I had a date. Then I cancelled it."

"Why?"

He smirked. "I don't know. Didn't feel like bothering, I guess. Luckily for you. What if you'd shown up and she was here?"

Charlie glared. "I'd have told her date's over. To go home. That you're mine."

At her possessive words, Bass' face dropped into an utterly serious expression, heat firing in his eyes. "Is that so?" he asked.

Indignantly, Charlie replied, "Yeah, Bass, and if you'd stop being such a jerk about it, I think we'd both be a lot happier."

A grin slowly spread over Bass' face, and then he laughed heartily. "Wow," he said. He ran a hand over his face slowly, as if trying to compose himself, still smiling. "Alright. Sorry I was an asshole at the garage earlier."

Charlie looked at him expectantly, waiting for him to go on.

"Come on. I was thinking I really cared about you, that this could be something. I cooked you fucking eggs. And that's when you decided we were done. It sucked. And frankly, pissed me off."

Charlie winced. "I'm sorry I was so worried about what Miles would think."

Bass nodded. "Yeah, he texted me. Said he's tired of seeing both of us miserable and that he told you the same thing, so I should stop being a stubborn bastard."

"It's not your fault," Charlie said. "I was so worried about screwing things up with Miles that I didn't even talk to him about it, and just ended up screwing things up between you and me instead." She bit her lip, regret flooding through her.

Bass covered her hands with his. "Hey, it's alright. You're here now. We're here." They held each other's gazes for a few long seconds, finally interrupted by the waitress delivering Charlie's drink.

Once she walked off, Charlie said, "Sorry I ruined your night at the club, too," not quite ready to let herself off the hook, yet.

Shrugging, Bass replied, "I left right after I saw you. I realized spending time with anyone else was pretty much a waste of time." He paused. "And I had a raging case of blue balls."

Charlie fought down a smile at that. "Sorry," she apologized again, much less contritely. "I'm sure I can find a way to make it up to you."

Bass looked distinctly interested in this possibility. As the band was returning to the stage, Charlie and Bass laced their fingers together and settled in contentedly to listen to the music.

After the show, Bass and Charlie walked out of the club. "So did you drive here?" Bass asked.

"Took a cab," Charlie answered.

"Do you want me to give you a ride home?"

Charlie raised her eyebrows. "Do you want to give me a ride home?"

"Not really."

She grinned. "Alright, then. Where do you want to take me?"

"You up for a little drive?"

"I'm up for anything."

About a half hour later, they were driving through winding, tree-lined roads, and Charlie started to feel a little nervous. What exactly had she gotten herself into?

Finally, they pulled off into a clearing. Bass got out of the car, and she followed. It was unseasonably warm for October in Chicago, but the night air still had a bite to it, and she was glad she had her overcoat on.

Bass walked around to the trunk and pulled out two blankets. "Star gazing okay with you?" he asked.

"Can you even name a single constellation?" she teased.

Bass scoffed, and pulled one more item out of the trunk. "Hold this," he said, handing her a leather-covered flask. Charlie opened it and sniffed. More whiskey. Of course.

Meanwhile, Bass had gone around to the hood of the car and arranged one blanket for them to lay on. He gestured for her to climb up. She started to, found her heels were just getting in the way, and kicked them off into the dirt beside the car. Once she was in place, Bass climbed up next to her, pulling the blanket over them.

"Alright, smartass," he began, holding out his arm so she could lay against his side. "Constellations. That's the Big Dipper."

"Very impressive," Charlie remarked dryly.

"Hey. I'm not done," he said. He continued, pointing out the locations of Gemini, Ursa Major, Ursa Minor, Perseus, and several others. Charlie had to admit she was surprised. He explained that they received a very rudimentary astronomical navigation course in the Marines, and he'd retained "just enough to show off to women."

They laid there, talking and passing the flask back and forth, catching up on the weeks they'd been apart. Charlie loved how easy it was to talk to Bass, and the fact that he seemed genuinely interested in what she had to say.

At one point, Charlie turned and pressed more of her body into Bass, shivering slightly. "You cold?" he asked.

"If I am, will you warm me up?"

"Yeah, I think I can do that," Bass replied. Pulling her closer to him, he kissed her softly. Charlie splayed her hands on his chest, feeling the heat of his skin through the fabric of his jacket. He felt so strong and sexy, holding her close.

Bass pushed his free hand under her coat, tracing her waistline teasingly, then running a thumb over her hard nipple through her dress. Charlie squirmed under his touch, and he kept going, moving his hand down until he reached the hem of her dress. Charlie hiked her leg up, encouraging him to reach underneath. Instead, he took the opportunity to trace the curve of her ass, over her her stocking-clad thigh and calf. It was strangely erotic, him running his hand over her ankle to rub her foot.

"These tights are so hot," he whispered, bringing his hand back up her calf, massaging her muscles slightly, feeling every inch of her toned leg.

Finally, he reached the top of her thighs, where her stockings ended. When his hands encountered bare flesh, he groaned slightly. "Goddamn, you're full of surprises, aren't you?"

"I hoped you'd like," Charlie said smugly.

"Yeah," Bass said, somewhat breathless. "I like." He ran his fingers over the bare skin between her stockings and her panties with a feather-light touch. Charlie felt herself growing increasingly aroused, desperate as he teased her sensitive flesh.

"Baby," Bass whispered as he finally moved his fingers to brush the fabric of her panties, which were soaked through with her arousal. Suddenly, he pushed her panties to the side and felt her dripping pussy. "Fuck," he cursed, and Charlie keened against him as he stroked her, lightly at first, then harder, rubbing her delicate folds.

Charlie spread her thighs wider, encouraging him, feeling deliciously naughty as he fingered her, even as they were fully clothed and out in public. "Yes," she moaned, dropping her mouth to his neck, kissing and licking him there.

"So wet for me," Bass said again, sounding awestruck. "You gonna come for me? Just like that? You like me finger fucking you?"

"Bass," Charlie wailed as she felt the familiar tension cresting in her body. It was almost too much, too good, and she nearly sobbed with need. "Yes, I'm gonna…." Her body writhed and bucked against him, her every nerve ending screaming for release, and finally, she came. Clutching Bass desperately, she gushed against his hand as she orgasmed, slamming her eyes closed against the onslaught of pleasure.

"Oh, fuck. So pretty, baby," Bass said. "So fucking hot." He grabbed her hand and crudely pressed it against his cock. "See what you do to me." He was rock hard and huge under her touch. Charlie didn't hesitate—she rubbed him firmly, grasping him through the fabric of his pants.

"Want you," she said breathily. "Please Bass." Charlie was feeling warm now, so she leaned away from Bass and shrugged out of her coat, still under the blanket. Now able to move more easily, she slid over on top of Bass and straddled him, her panty-covered pussy pressed into the ridge of his cock.

Reaching down between them, Charlie realized Bass had already undone his belt. With eager, clumsy fingers, she undid his pants, reaching inside to grasp his cock. She loved the feel of his hot flesh in her hand, pulsing and ready for her. Bass pushed his pants and boxers down, freeing his cock completely. Charlie reached down with her other hand and pushed her panties aside, then maneuvered so he was right at her entrance.

Teasingly, experimentally, she sank down just slightly, taking his tip inside her. He glided through her wetness, and her need for him was almost painful, but she decided to draw it out even more. Bracing herself against Bass' chest, she began working her pussy up and down just the tip of his cock. He was wide, and hard, and she felt stretched to her limit from just that much of him.

"You trying to torture me, sweetheart?" Bass asked in a strangled tone, and Charlie looked up to see his face equal parts tense and aroused. "Or maybe just kill me outright?"

Deciding to have mercy, Charlie sank down suddenly, taking his full length inside her, crying out as she did. It had been a few weeks; she'd nearly forgotten how big he was. Once she had taken him, Bass didn't hold back any longer. He pushed her dress up, gripping her ass and fucking up into her brutally. The sensation of the fabric next to his cock was unusual and strangely hot, and Charlie soon felt herself shuddering into another orgasm.

Spent, she tipped forward and laid against Bass' chest, as he continued to thrust into her hard and fast. "Gonna come inside you, baby," he said, a statement, not a warning. "Gonna fill you up with my come. You're… mine," he declared, punctuating his statement with one last, hard thrust before he exploded, pulling her down against him with bruising force. Charlie felt the warm pulses of his orgasm inside her, and she pushed down into him, taking him deep.

They lay there in the woods for a while longer, just listening to the night sounds. Charlie laughed when Bass started to name more constellations, informing him that he'd impressed her enough for one night. Eventually, they straightened out their clothes and got back in the car.

As they neared the city and the exit for her apartment, Bass asked Charlie, "So, did you want me to take you home or…?"

"How about you take me to your place?" Charlie said.. "And I promise this time I won't dump you to get out of eating your cooking."

Bass scoffed at that. "Nice try," he said. "It's your turn to cook breakfast, princess."

Charlie rolled her eyes. "Hope you like toast."

A couple months later, Charlie was sitting on Bass' couch, typing away on her laptop, squinting in concentration. Bass flopped down next to her, bouncing the cushion she sat on, and tried to grab her and kiss her neck.

"Stop," she protested. "I have to finish this paper. About YOUR garage." The semester was nearly over; it was time to turn in her final report about everything she'd learned working a non-traditional job.

"Hmmm," Bass said, pretending to be deep in thought. "You may want to write about how one of the co-owners makes you so wet you can hardly walk straight…"

"Mmmhmm," she said, ignoring him.

"Can you take a break for a second?" he pleaded. "I want to give you a present."

"I keep telling you, your cock is not a present," Charlie protested absently, composing her next paragraph in her head.

"Ugh, stubborn Mathesons," Bass grumbled, then heaved himself up off the couch. Once he was standing, he dropped something into the middle of Charlie's laptop keyboard that landed with a clatter. A key. That got her attention.

Putting her laptop aside, Charlie grabbed the key and stood up, too. "This is…?" she prompted him.

"A key to my place. But it comes with a condition," Bass warned.

"Which is?"

"You have to move in with me."

Charlie gasped. She'd been spending most nights at Bass' place anyway. It was about as far from campus as her own apartment, and on days she was working at the garage, obviously much closer. Things were really good between them. True, when they fought, they nearly screamed the walls down, but the makeup sex was always worth it. And she really cared about Bass. Probably even loved him.

"But, what about my apartment?" she asked. "I have another six months on my lease."

"One of the guys at the garage said his sister's looking for a place for the spring," Bass said. "Should I tell him I know of one that's coming available?"

Charlie's heart fluttered at the vulnerable look on his face. She didn't keep him in suspense. "Yes!" she exclaimed. "I'd love to move in with you." The air between them was suddenly heavy with the word she'd chosen.

Bass took her hands, including the one still holding the key. "I'd love it too, baby," he said. He kissed her, and Charlie kissed him back for a few moments before pulling away and tugging on his arm, leading him back toward the bedroom.

"Thought you had a paper to write," Bass said, still following her without hesitation.

Charlie shook her head, smiling widely, "I think I've figured out how to boil it down to basically three words." She laid down on the bed, waiting for Bass to join her.

"Oh yeah?" Bass asked, crawling over Charlie and beginning to nuzzle her neck.

"Yeah," she said. "Best. Internship. Ever."

The end.


End file.
